Growing Up Stapes
by WolfGirl1331
Summary: A series of humorous one-shots charting Christine's upbringing from childhood to adulthood.
1. Grandpa Max

**This is a series loosely based on some of the events in my earlier story, 'Interview with the Future', which was written in the form of a magazine article with Christine Booth as an adult. Thanks to the fantastic reviews I received and the encouragement of other writers, particularly Penandra, I decided to write a series of one-shots charting Christine's upbringing from her childhood to adulthood. I'm writing this mainly with humor in mind, but there may be a little angst here and there for good measure. Reviews are very much appreciated and always replied to if they're signed. **

Six-year-old Christine Angela Booth stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, nervously fiddling with the hem of the skirt which her mother had helped her pick outthe day before. She was due to start at Sheridan School the following day, her parents finally having reached a compromise on a private school whose philosophy emphasized emotional and psychological development alongside a rigorous academic curriculum. Although excited by the prospect of learning new things and the chance to make new friends, Christine couldn't help the waves of anxiety which washed over her whenever she thought about what tomorrow might bring.

With a sigh she turned back to the task she had abandoned earlier, which involved sorting through the sizeable assortment of new stationary and other necessary school equipment which had been purchased specifically for the start of the new term. She was just trying to decide whether she wanted to take the purple or the blue notebook with her on her first day, when she heard the sound of the doorbell ringing. Christine listened to her mother's footsteps as Temperance Brennan walked down the hallway to greet her guest.

Assuming that the visitor would not have come to see her, Christine turned back to her stationary choices. She was so absorbed with her task that she didn't hear the knock on her door, only looking up when she heard a familiar voice.

"Getting ready for your first day of school, honey?"

A wide grin spread across Christine's face as she dropped the notebook she held in her hands and spun around.

"Grandpa!"

A corresponding grin lit up Max Keenan's face as he scooped up his granddaughter into a fierce hug. Christine had always felt a close bond with her only living grandparent. His boyish and impudent personality was very appealing to her, and she loved spending time with him.

Max released her and walked over to her bed, surveying the stationary pile with amusement.

"Well, looks like you and your parents have been busy. Clear out the local Barnes & Noble did you?"

Christine laughed at her grandfather's exaggerated statement, "Don't be silly, Grandpa, we didn't buy that much stuff! Mommy said that I need to be 'adequately prepared to begin my studies', so she wanted to make sure that I'll have everything I need."

Max chuckled and shook his head, "Yep, that sounds like your Mom alright! Now, what do you say you take a break from all this and come and hang out with your old Grandpa for awhile?"

"Okay, sure!" Christine took the hand that Max offered her and followed him out into the living area.

"Dad?" Brennan called through from the kitchen, "can I get you a drink or something?"

"Eh, a coffee thanks, honey." Max replied.

Christine seated herself on the couch, her fingers straying once again to the hem of her skirt, her earlier anxiety now returning. Max crossed the room and sat down next to her, gently nudging her arm to attract her attention.

"Hey, what's wrong, honey?"

Christine stared at her feet and shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to give voice to her fears. However, Max seemed to instinctively know what the problem was.

"Are you nervous about your first day of school tomorrow?"

Christine relaxed slightly, relieved not to have had to admit to her feelings herself.

"Yeah, a little."

Max took her smaller hands in his larger ones and smiled at her.

"Well, that's okay, and you know what? You're gonna do great there. Think of all the new people you're gonna get to meet, and all the things you'll learn. And hey!" he grinned excitedly, "don't they have fancy labs in that place? Think of the neat experiments you'll get to do! Trust me, it'll be great!"

As usual, Max's enthusiasm for science was infectious, and Christine felt some of her anxiety lifting. However, she still harbored some lingering doubts.

"But, Grandpa, what if the people there don't like me? What if they're mean to me?"

Max smiled reassuringly, "Aw, honey, I'm sure that won't happen, the other kids will love you. But, if there are any meanies on the playground, you know what you do?"

"Go and tell a teacher?" Christine answered, remembering a recent conversation she'd had with her parents about what she should do if she had any problems at school.

Max hesitated slightly, "Well, sure, that too. But what I was gonna say was you should stand your ground, show 'em you're not scared, don't let them think they've got the upper hand. And if things really get ugly you can always - "

"Dad, no!" Brennan yelled from the doorway, having returned with Max's coffee and heard the end of his conversation with Christine.

Max stood and turned to address his daughter, "What's the matter, honey?"

"That is not how Booth and I wish Christine to respond in a situation like that!" Brennan replied irately. "How many times do we have to ask you not to impart those kinds of values to her? We do not want her to react violently should she find herself in any difficulty. She's not you!"

Max held up his hands and rolled his eyes, while Brennan turned to her daughter.

"Christine, if you have a problem at school, you should go and inform one of your teachers, or another adult, just like we talked about."

"Oh come on, Tempe!" Max said, exasperated. "Let the girl have some guts and show 'em what she's made of!"

Brennan sighed, "It is not cowardly to ask for the help of an adult, Dad. Booth and I want Christine to know that."

Max scoffed, "Oh, sure, the former Army sniper FBI Special Agent guy wants his daughter to be a sissy!"

"Dad!" Brennan was becoming increasingly annoyed with her father.

Christine spoke up, "What's a sissy?"

Max smiled down at her, "Certainly nothing you're going to be, honey."

Brennan was about to respond, when Seeley Booth chose that moment to enter the house, having returned home from work.

"Ah, there's the man himself!" Max addressed Booth, "Been tattling on some bad guys have you?"

"Huh?" Booth replied, somewhat confused as to what he had just walked in on.

Christine turned to her father, "Daddy, what's a sissy?"

"What?" Booth was now even more confused.

Brennan turned to Booth, "My father was just explaining to our daughter how she ought to cope with unkind children at school by intimidating and insulting them."

"Aw, come on, Max!" Booth said, more than a little irritated with Max's 'advice' to his daughter.

Max held up his hands, "Now, I never said anything about insulting anyone," he looked to Christine, "did I honey?"

"What's a sissy?" Christine ignored Max's question, still intent on getting an answer to her own.

Max was insistent, "I swear, Booth, I'm being misquoted here!"

"Ha!" Booth snorted, "Sure, because you would never encourage violence, would you?"

Max was about to reply, when Christine stomped her foot impatiently and demanded attention.

"I want to know what a sissy is!"

Before either Booth or Brennan could respond, Max knelt down beside her and replied, "A sissy is someone who's scared of standing up for themselves. You know, like a wimpy ass kid."

"Dad!" Brennan yelled.

Booth chimed in, "Max, ease up on the language there."

Christine turned a worried glance to her father, "But I don't wanna be a sissy!"

Brennan sighed, "It's _want to_ Christine, and you are not going to be a sissy, is she, Dad?"

Max shrugged and stood up straight again, "Well, not if you let her stand up for herself."

Booth turned on Max, now just as exasperated as Brennan, "So, you think we should send her to school with a .44 Magnum? It's D.C. Max, not The Bronx!"

Christine's interest was piqued again, "What's a .44 Magnum?"

"Crap," Booth muttered.

"Booth!" Brennan yelled.

"Hee hee," Christine laughed, "Daddy, you said a bad word!"

Max smirked, "Yes, he did, didn't he, Christine? Naughty Daddy!"

Christine turned to look at her grandfather, "You said one too, Grandpa."

Max looked sheepish, "Ah, you noticed that, did you?"

"Yes," Christine replied proudly, "I'm very smart you know!"

Max smiled and patted her shoulder, "That you are, honey."

Brennan frowned, "Christine, you shouldn't boast about your abilities like that."

Christine turned indignantly to her mother, "I wasn't, Mommy! I was just stating a fact, like you do."

Booth laughed, "She's got you there, Bones!"

"You're not helping, Booth!" Brennan scowled at him.

Max chuckled at the exchange. Brennan turned on her father.

"And neither are you, Dad!"

Christine was still disgruntled by her mother's comment, "You said I was smart, Mommy!"

Brennan sighed, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, "You are, Christine."

"Then why can't I tell people that?" Christine asked, following what appeared to her to be a reasonable line of logic, just as her mother had taught her to do.

"Because it's rude," Brennan replied.

Christine's nose wrinkled in confusion, "It's rude to tell the truth?"

Brennan hesitated, "Well, no, I mean, in this instance ..." She was distracted from her attempted explanation by the muffled laughter coming from Booth and her father.

Angrily she turned to them, "Would you two stop behaving like children!"

Booth made an effort to control himself, but was still chuckling when he replied, "Sorry, Bones. It's just, it's like you've cloned yourself there!"

Brennan looked mildly confused, "That's absurd, Booth, you were present when I conceived Christine. Or don't you remember?"

A lustful spark ignited in Booth's eyes as he replied salaciously, "Oh, I remember!"

Max spoke up, "Hey, hey, sensitive ears here!"

Booth glanced apologetically at his daughter, "Sorry, Christine."

"I meant me!" Max replied.

"Oh," Booth responded.

Always eager to understand what was going on around her, Christine asked, "Sorry for what, Daddy?"

"Nevermind." Brennan jumped in before her father could make yet another inappropriate comment.

Christine sighed. Naturally intellectually curious, she was always a little annoyed when her parents refused to enlighten her about certain things.

Booth decided to step in before things got any more out of hand.

"Come here, Stapes," he said as he held out his hand to his daughter.

Responding to the nickname the squints had given to her as a baby, Christine smiled slightly and accepted her father's hand and allowed him to lead her to the couch.

Booth turned to her, "Okay, here's the deal. If you do have any problems with the other kids at school, you can try and talk to them yourself first. But, if that doesn't work, then you go and speak to your teacher, or tell us when you get home, deal?"

Christine looked at Max, "Grandpa, would I still be a sissy if I did that?"

Max opened his mouth to reply, but not before receiving a stern glance from Brennan and a reproachful glare from Booth. Max sighed in defeat, and smiled at his granddaughter.

"Nah, honey, that wouldn't make you a sissy. You do what your Dad says."

Christine smiled and nodded, "Okay, thanks Grandpa!"

Looks of relief crossed Booth and Brennan's faces, while Christine jumped up and grabbed Max's hand, tugging him in the direction of her bedroom.

"Come on, Grandpa! You can help me decide what stationary to take tomorrow."

Max grinned and let himself be pulled along, "Sounds good, honey! And, while we're at it, maybe we can have a chat about what you do if some kid tries to cut in front of you in the cafeteria line."

An exasperated Brennan hurried after them, closely followed by an aggravated Booth, "Dad, for the last time, no!" "Max, for God's sake!"

Christine laughed as Max chuckled and nudged her arm playfully. She always loved it when he came round and teased her parents.

**I hope you all enjoyed reading this. I'll be posting the next chapter soon, when Christine will be about eight years old. Parker will be involved in this one, as we learn how Booth and Brennan have managed to combine science and religion in raising Christine. Please leave a review, it's the only way I know if I'm doing a good job or not. Thank you. **


	2. Science Sundays

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on alert, I'm very grateful and feel very encouraged to write more and more. I'm sorry I couldn't reply to those of you who left reviews but don't have accounts or weren't signed in. I really appreciate your feedback. I hope you all enjoy this next installment. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. **

***A quick note to bear in mind for this story. From the way things are going on the show, I have a feeling that Booth and Brennan will be married within the next few years, when Christine is still very young. Therefore, I'm going to assume from now on that they are a married couple. **

As eight-year-old Christine walked out of Saint Patrick's Catholic Church with her parents and her half-brother that Sunday morning, she considered what she had heard in today's homily. Father O'Leary had read from the Book of John, and spoken at length about faith in God. This was a topic which Christine often struggled with, being raised as she was by both a Catholic and an Atheist. She never felt pressured by either of her parents to choose sides or align herself specifically with a set of beliefs, however. On the contrary, she had always been encouraged to take in what she learned about the world and come up with her own opinions, rather than accept things on face value. She thought about the words she had heard:

_For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life._

Christine knew that her father believed very strongly in such words, while her mother thought of the Bible as a collection of fables and stories, with little or no basis in fact. It was these widely differing views of the world which had led Booth and Brennan to establish a family tradition, which allowed Christine to learn about both the worlds of science and religion equally, without being forced to choose between them.

Every Sunday morning, they would attend church services as a family, and, in the afternoons, her mother would set up science experiments or projects for them to do together. Christine greatly enjoyed what had been nicknamed 'Science Sundays'; not just for the family time, but for the reassurance she gained from knowing that her parents were allowing her the freedom to choose her own beliefs, and would support her on whatever path she chose to follow.

Christine was shaken out of her reverie by a gentle nudge from Parker. Now a young man of nineteen, he had come home from college for the weekend to spend time with his family.

"Are you okay, sis? You seem miles away"

Christine smiled at her older brother's concern. Parker had always been protective of her, and she felt very close to him.

"I'm okay. I was just thinking about a few things."

"Feel like sharing?" Parker asked.

"Not right now, thanks though," Christine replied,

Parker nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, gently guiding her towards the car.

Booth turned to his children as he moved to unlock the car, "Hey, you guys feel like grabbing some snacks on the way home? You'll need your strength for whatever mind boggling experiments Bones has got planned for us this afternoon!"

"Sure!" Christine grinned, always eager to satisfy her sweet tooth.

"Count me in, Dad," Parker agreed.

"What experiment are we doing today, Mommy?" Christine asked Brennan as they all piled into the car and Booth began to ease into the flow of traffic.

Brennan glanced back to address her daughter from her position in the front passenger seat, "Actually, I have prepared what I would call a recreational learning experience for us today, rather than an experiment."

Christine looked skeptical, "So, we don't get to play with chemicals today?"

Brennan frowned slightly, "We do not _play _with chemicals Christine; that would be potentially dangerous. We use them in a safe and responsible manner in order to enhance your learning."

Christine sighed, "I know that, Mommy. I just meant that it's fun to use them and watch what they do when we mix them together and stuff. I really like doing that."

"I know you do," Brennan acknowledged, "however, I assure you that this experience will also be enjoyable, whilst also being beneficial to your education."

Parker chuckled from next to Christine, meeting his father's eyes in the rear view mirror. Booth smiled back, amused at the exchange between his wife and daughter. From almost the day Christine was born, Brennan had insisted on speaking to her as if she were an adult, claiming that it would help develop Christine's vocabulary.

Booth's attention was drawn back to the conversation as Christine asked her mother, "So, what are we doing then?"

Brennan's face lit up with enthusiasm at the chance to explain her idea, "Well, since I am a forensic anthropologist, I thought it was time that you start learning the proper terms for some of the bones in the human body."

Christine scrunched up her face, for once not sharing her mother's excitement about science, "How will that be fun, though? It sounds kind of boring."

"I was getting to that, Christine, please be patient." Brennan admonished, "I have procured some large sheets of blank paper, which I intend for us each to lie down on while we draw around the perimeter of each other's bodies. I will then fill in the outlines with depictions of the major bones, which the three of you will have to attempt to label with the name cards I have already prepared."

Booth raised his eyebrows, "That sounds pretty challenging, Bones. I'm not sure how well we're gonna do with that one."

Brennan turned to him, "I have faith in your abilities, Booth. You have spent many years enjoying the benefit of my considerable expertise, and have been exposed to the proper terminology of the skeleton on innumerable occasions. I am quite certain that you will have retained enough knowledge to perform more than adequately."

Christine and Parker exchanged smiles in the back seat, while Booth leant closer to Brennan and whispered, "This 'learning experience' is for the kids though, right? I mean, you're not actually testing me, are you?"

"Not directly, no," Brennan whispered back, "however, I would imagine that you would enjoy the opportunity to impress your children with your knowledge."

Booth chuckled, "Yeah, or give them an excuse to make fun of their old Dad. Well, I'll give it my best shot, anyway."

Flicking his eyes briefly back to the road before turning back to Brennan, Booth lowered his voice still further, adopting a seductive tone as he asked, "Do I get a reward from the teacher if I get a good score?"

Brennan smiled and winked at him, "Perhaps. I will have to wait until after I evaluate your performance to decide whether you deserve a reward."

Booth grinned and looked at her with a lustful glint in his eye, "You can evaluate my performance anytime you like, Bones."

Brennan was about to reply when Christine's voice interrupted them, "Are we nearly at the candy store, Daddy? I want to get chocolate and jelly beans!"

"Yeah Dad," Parker chimed in, "you don't want to miss the turn off because you were distracted by your, uh, interesting conversation with Temperance."

Booth glared at his son in the rear view mirror, Parker obviously having caught some of his flirting with Brennan. Parker only grinned wider, enjoying teasing his father.

"We'll be there soon, Christine," Booth answered, "then it's on home to take on the bone challenge!"

)()()()()()()()()()()()(

After having bought a selection of snacks in town, which included some carrot and celery sticks at Brennan's insistence, the Booth clan arrived back at the house some twenty minutes later. While Booth, Parker and Christine began to unpack them and put everything into sharing bowls, Brennan busied herself with setting up the bone challenge.

She cleared a space in the center of the living area large enough to lay out the sheets of paper, and placed the stack of name cards and some pens down next to them.

"Okay everyone, everything's ready."

Each carrying a snack bowl, Booth, Parker and Christine came over to join Brennan.

"Now," she asked, "who wants to get drawn around first?"

Christine's hand shot up, "Me!"

After putting aside her bowl, she grabbed one of the pens and offered it to her brother, evidently having decided that this activity might be fun after all, "Parker, can you draw around me please?"

Parker smiled at his little sister's enthusiasm and accepted the pen, "Okay, lie down on the paper then."

Christine did as she was asked and smiled up at Parker expectantly. Just as he was about to start drawing, Christine said quickly, "Careful not to draw on my hair!"

Parker laughed, "I'll do my best not to!"

He started drawing, which was a little difficult as Christine had trouble staying motionless as she tried to watch Parker at the same time, but eventually there was a somewhat shaky outline of Christine's body etched onto the paper.

Brennan smiled, "Not bad, Parker. Christine, why don't you draw around Parker next while I do your Dad's outline, then one of you can draw mine."

"Okay, Mommy," Christine replied, taking the pen from Parker as he lay down.

Booth and Brennan moved over to the other end of the row of paper, and Booth got into position while Brennan grabbed another pen.

Never being one able to resist the temptation to flirt with his beautiful wife, Booth couldn't help commenting as Brennan leaned over his face whilst drawing around his head, "Nice view you're giving me there, Bones."

Brennan chuckled and continued drawing. When she began drawing up the inside of his thigh, Booth tensed slightly. Brennan grinned and slowed her pace, moving the pen inch by inch closer to Booth's crotch.

"Huh, easy there, Bones," Booth muttered nervously, "there are children in the room."

"I am well aware of that, Booth, do try to control yourself." With that she moved the pen past his crotch and down the inside of his other leg towards his foot. Booth breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're finished here, Mommy!" Christine's cheerful tones called out.

Brennan straightened up, having completed Booth's outline, and glanced at Christine's drawing of Parker. The lines were very wobbly in places, but it was a good effort.

"Well done, Christine. Would you like to draw around me now?"

"Sure!" Christine replied.

"Damn," Booth muttered under his breath, "I was really looking forward to getting my own back."

Brennan rolled her eyes at Booth's comment and lay down on the remaining blank piece of paper. A few minutes later, Christine was finished and Brennan stood up to check on the drawing.

"That's great, Christine. Now why don't you, Parker and your father sit down and have some snacks while I draw in the bones."

"Okay, jelly bean time!" Christine skipped over to the snack bowls and grabbed a large handful of the brightly colored sweets.

"Please try to have some carrot and celery sticks, too, Christine," Brennan said.

As usual, Brennan's pleas for Christine to give up candy in favor of healthier food fell on deaf ears, as she happily tucked into her jelly beans.

With a resigned sigh, Brennan turned to her task, while Booth and Parker grabbed their own snacks and sat down on the couch.

About fifteen minutes later, Brennan announced that she was ready, and everyone gathered around the drawings, now complete with outlines of the major bones of the body.

"Okay," Brennan began to explain the rules, "there are four sets of name cards here, one for each of our drawings, and I want you to place each card on the drawing of the bone which you think corresponds to the name on the card. Booth and Parker, you can do yours by yourselves. Christine, I'll help you fill in yours and mine."

Brennan handed out the sets of cards, and everyone got to work.

Booth found that he managed to recall almost all of the bones, but couldn't for the life of him remember which way round the tibia and fibula were supposed to go.

Parker was having similar difficulties, having confused the scapula with the sternum.

Meanwhile, Brennan was encouraging Christine to manage as many as she could on her own. Having studied some basic human biology at school and heard her mother talk about bones from time to time, she was able to place quite a few of the cards by herself.

She smiled when she found that she held a card with the name 'Stapes' on it. Given that it was Christine's nickname, Brennan had decided to include it, despite it not being one of the major bones. Christine happily placed the card onto one of the ears Brennan had added to her outline.

"You're doing well, Christine," Brennan smiled proudly.

"Thanks, Mommy." Christine replied distractedly, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to determine where she should place the 'Patella' card.

After hovering around the shoulder area for a minute or two, Christine changed her mind and placed the card on one of the knees.

She looked up at her mother, who smiled and nodded approvingly.

After about half an hour, everyone had completed the labeling of their outlines. Parker had mislabeled several more bones than his father, but had generally done well. As Christine and Parker were comparing scores, Booth sidled up to Brennan and whispered in her ear, "So, Mrs. Booth, have I performed to your satisfaction today?"

A shiver ran up Brennan's spine at the feel of Booth's warm breath on her neck, and she replied, "You have done well, Booth. However, I believe that you require further testing. I will schedule your examination for later tonight … once Christine and Parker are asleep."

Booth grinned and briefly squeezed her around the waist, "I look forward to it."

Brennan smiled at him and turned to face Christine and Parker, "How about we clear these away now and watch a movie together before dinner? You two can choose which one."

Parker nodded and Christine cheerfully agreed, rushing off to make her selection.

As he watched his children argue good naturally over the movie choice, Booth wrapped his arms around Brennan from behind and kissed her on the cheek. He really loved 'Science Sundays'.

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be posted over the weekend. This time, Christine will be joined by Michael Hodgins, and together they get into a little mischief in the lab! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Feedback always makes me write faster! :D **


	3. Lessons in the Lab

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, your feedback means a lot to me. I hope you're all enjoying life with the Booth clan so far. In this chapter, Christine will be joined by her partner in crime, Michael Hodgins, for some mischief in the lab. Please leave a review, I'm always happy to hear your thoughts. Thank you.**

Ten-year-old Christine had woken that morning with a sense of excitement and anticipation. As she was on vacation from school and her father was on a three day training course with the FBI, her mother was taking her into work with her for a few hours, while she worked to identify a set of remains for a WW1 exhibition that the Jeffersonian was putting on in a few weeks. The young woman who usually sat for Christine was out of town, and Grandpa Max was visiting her Uncle Russ and his family, so this was Brennan's only option. While Christine would normally have been more than happy to stay with either her sitter or Max, she was thrilled that she would get to spend some time in the lab; a rare treat and an opportunity to feed her intellectual curiosity.

She had visited the lab before, but always under the strict supervision of her mother, and she had never been allowed to view any of the remains. Brennan had promised that this would change when Christine was older; however, she was anxious to learn more about her mother's work sooner rather than later.

Christine's excitement grew as Brennan drove the car down into the Jeffersonian's parking lot. Pulling to a stop and turning off the engine, she turned to her daughter with a serious expression on her face.

"Now remember, Christine. You're only here today because I need to work and I can't leave you home alone. This isn't one of our educational visits, I need you to remain in my office until I come back for you. I'll set up my laptop so you can watch some movies, or you can read the book that you brought. Do you understand?"

Christine nodded, "Yes, Mom, I understand."

Brennan smiled, "Good. Let's go inside."

Grabbing her bag and unplugging her seatbelt, Christine jumped out of the car and skipped alongside her mother as they walked into the Jeffersonian. They reached the lab a few minutes later, and were surprised to see Angela and her son, Michael, walking towards them.

Christine grinned at Michael, always happy to see him. The two of them had been born only nine months apart, and considering that their parents were close friends, they were growing up together and had become very close.

Brennan smiled questioningly at Angela, "What are you doing here today, Angela? I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Well, I had some work to finish here for the exhibit," Angela replied, "and Hodgins has come down with a nasty case of the stomach flu, so I thought I'd bring Michael in with me to give Hodgins some peace."

Brennan nodded, "I also have some work to complete today, and no one else was available to stay with Christine, so I opted to bring her here, too. Perhaps she and Michael can play together in my office while the two of us work?"

Angela put her hand on Michael's shoulder, "What do you think, Michael?"

Michael and Christine exchanged excited grins, and Michael replied, "Yeah, sure! Hey, Chrissy, I brought a new jigsaw puzzle with me, we can do it together!"

"Great!" Christine replied, "I've got some movies, and snacks too!"

Brennan and Angela smiled at their children's enthusiasm, "Sounds like you're all set, then," Angela said, "I'll go and grab your stuff, Michael. Why don't you guys head on into Bren's office, I'll be right back."

Angela turned and headed for her office, while Brennan guided Christine and Michael into her own and began setting up her laptop for the movies.

Seating herself on the couch, Christine motioned for Michael to sit next to her, while she reached for her backpack and began pulling out her snacks. She wrinkled her nose when she realized that Brennan had slipped in some carrot sticks, and pushed them aside in favor of a large bag of jelly beans and some chips.

Passing the chips to Michael, Christine tore into the jelly beans just as Angela returned with Michael's things.

"Here you go, Michael. Have fun you two, I should get to work."

"Oh, Angela," Brennan asked before Angela left, "if you have the time I would be grateful if you could do a facial reconstruction of the victim I am about to examine. I would like to include a portrait with the remains in the exhibit."

"No problem, Bren." Angela replied, "Just bring me the skull once you're finished."

Brennan smiled, "Thank you, Angela, I will."

Angela nodded and left. Brennan turned to the children, "Christine, Michael, I will be in one of the examination rooms, please remain here. Angela and I will check in on you periodically."

"Okay, Mom," Christine acknowledged.

"See you later, Aunt Temperance." Michael said.

Once Brennan had left, Michael pulled out a jigsaw puzzle from his bag, the box depicting what appeared to be a group of brightly colored insects.

"My Dad got this for me last week. Do you want to do it now?"

"Okay," Christine replied, "we can put a movie on later."

The two of them sat down on the floor and tipped the pieces onto the carpet, and began sorting out the edge pieces from the rest.

"That's a shame your Dad's sick, I hope he feels better soon," Christine said.

"Thanks, me too." Michael answered, carefully picking out the corner jigsaw pieces and positioning them accordingly, "He got a delivery of a new super powerful microscope yesterday, and when he gets better we're gonna look at some insects with it."

A mildly disgusted look crossed Christine's face, "Sorry, but I still think bugs are kind of gross. I wouldn't really want to see one close up."

Michael chuckled, well aware of his friend's distaste for insects.

"But, what about dead bodies?" Michael asked, "They're way more disgusting than bugs!"

"Only when the flesh is still on them," Christine insisted while picking through the puzzle pieces, "they get cleaned up and then my Mom examines them."

Michael began working on the bottom edge of the puzzle, "Have you ever seen a bone? A real, human one I mean."

Christine sighed, "Apart from the ancient ones on the shelves in here, no, only pictures. Mom says I'm too young to see them yet, coz a lot of them belong to people who were murdered, but I think she's wrong. I wouldn't freak out or anything."

"Bet you would!" Michael teased.

"Would not!" Christine was indignant.

"Okay, fine," Michael's voice adopted a challenging tone, "then prove it."

Christine was confused, "How? There aren't any around."

Michael smiled conspiratorially, "Sure there are, in the examination room your Mom's working in."

"But my Mom's in there," Christine replied, "and we're not allowed to leave this room by ourselves, we'd get into trouble!"

Despite her desire to see the bones in the examination room, Christine had been raised to adhere to the rules, especially in the lab, and was reluctant to risk breaking them. Also, she didn't see how they would be able to access the room without her mother noticing. Michael had apparently already considered this.

"Your Mom will have to leave the room sometime. We'll just wait until she does."

Christine was still skeptical. However, as she took in the confident look on Michael's face and felt her own urge to do what he was suggesting increase, she began to think that maybe they would be able to manage it without getting caught.

A cautious smile began to spread across her face as she said, "Okay, we'll try. If Mom leaves the exam room then she'll probably check in on us first before she goes anywhere else, so we should wait until then."

"Good idea," Michael agreed.

With their plan set, the two conspirators went back to working on the puzzle.

About an hour later, Brennan came into the room.

"Is everything alright in here? Do either of you require anything?"

Both smiling innocently, Christine and Michael nodded and said that they were fine, and didn't need anything at the moment.

Brennan nodded and replied, "Very well. I have learned all I can from the victim's skull, therefore I will be taking it along to Angela's office for her to do the facial reconstruction. Would you like your mother to come and see you before she begins, Michael?"

Seeing an opportunity to keep both their mothers occupied, Michael answered, "No, but I'm a bit worried about my Dad being home alone when he's sick. Can you ask her to call him to check he's okay? Maybe you could say hi to him, too, he'd like that."

Brennan smiled at Michael's suggestion, "I'll do that, Michael. I will see you both later."

She turned and left the room. Michael grinned at Christine and grabbed her hand to pull her to her feet, "Come on! Quick before your Mom get's back!"

Moving as stealthily as the secret agents he had seen in the movies he watched with his father, Michael led Christine across to the office door and out into the main lab, where he directed her to keep her back against the wall and slowly move towards the examination room.

Luckily for them, the lab was mostly deserted, given that there were no active cases at the moment and a large percentage of the staff were either on vacation or working in other rooms, meaning that no one noticed the children sneaking closer to their destination.

Eventually, they reached the door of the exam room. Michael dropped to his hands and knees, motioning for Christine to do the same. Michael slowly peered around the corner, checking to make sure that the room was indeed empty, except of course for the inhabitant that they were there to see.

Sighing with relief, the children stood up and walked over to the table, where a set of cleaned bones were laid out, minus the skull.

"Wow." Michael exclaimed, "This is so cool!"

Christine merely nodded, her attention transfixed on the bones.

Michael nudged her, "I dare you to pick one up."

Christine gasped. Sneaking in to look at the bones was one thing, but actually touching them was something else entirely.

Michael was looking at her expectantly. Pushing aside her gnawing fears about being discovered, Christine tentatively reached forward and closed her fingers around the left femur. It felt cold and slightly rough, but also smoother than she had thought.

Suddenly, they both heard footsteps coming towards the room. Looks of panic appeared on their faces, and Michael whispered, "We need to get back to your Mom's office, run!"

Without thinking about what she was doing, Christine grabbed the bone she had her hand around and lifted it from the table, rushing to catch up with Michael who was already heading for the door.

Forgetting stealth in favor of speed, they dashed back to where they were supposed to be. A little out of breath, they managed to make it to Brennan's office without being spotted.

Michael turned to Christine and was horrified to see what she was holding, "What did you bring that for? Now your Mom's gonna know we were in there!"

A look of distress crossed Christine's face as she replied in a worried voice, "I don't know, I had my hand on it and I panicked!"

Before Michael could reply, a shout could be heard from the direction they had just run from, "Where the hell is my bone?"

"Oh no!" Christine cried, "Mom's noticed it's gone!"

Barely thirty seconds passed before a very irate forensic anthropologist appeared in the doorway, immediately spotting the bone clutched in her daughter's hand.

"Christine Angela Booth, what an earth do you think you're doing with that bone? Hand it to me, now!"

Christine shuffled forward, placing the bone in Brennan's outstretched hand and staring at the floor. Michael, too, was attempting to look anywhere but at Brennan's face.

"Well," Brennan demanded, "I'm waiting for an explanation."

When none was forthcoming, Brennan was about to speak again, when Angela arrived at the office, attracted by Brennan's shouts.

"Hey, what's going on in here?"

Brennan turned to her friend and held the bone up in front of her, "Apparently, our children decided to sneak into the examination room whilst you and I were otherwise occupied, and removed the left femur from the remains I was working on. I have yet to be given a reason for their actions."

"Michael?" Angela addressed her son, an angry frown distorting her features, "Was this your idea?"

Michael looked down at his feet for a moment before raising his eyes to meet his mother's gaze, "Yeah, it was. Chrissy said that she wouldn't be freaked out if she saw real bones, so I told her to prove it. Then when we got to the exam room, I dared her to pick one up. It's my fault."

Brennan spoke up, "That may be so, Michael, but Christine obviously went along with your plan."

She turned back to her daughter, "This is completely unacceptable behavior, Christine. I told you specifically to remain here while I was working, why did you disobey me?"

Christine hated to anger her mother, and replied sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Mom. I just got so excited about seeing the bones, and I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. I know it was a really stupid idea."

"It was more than that, Christine." Brennan replied sharply, "Please sit down, I would like to discuss this further with you."

Christine did as she was told, glancing briefly over at her co-defendant.

"That goes for you too, Michael," Angela said, "come with me, we'll come back and get your stuff later."

Smiling at Brennan apologetically, Angela put a hand on Michael's shoulder and led him out of the room.

Brennan sighed and placed the femur on her desk, then moved to sit next to her daughter on the couch, who was staring fixedly at the half finished puzzle on the floor.

"Christine," Brennan said. When that got no response, she spoke again, "please look at me when I'm talking to you."

Christine reluctantly raised her head and met her mother's eyes. Brennan's heart lurched slightly at the look of genuine regret on her daughter's face, but resolutely pushed the feeling aside, knowing the importance of making Christine understand the severity of what she had done.

"Christine, firstly, you should never leave this office and go wandering about the lab without me or another adult to accompany you. You are well aware of this rule. There are at times dangerous experiments and laboratory tests that take place here, and there are also potentially harmful chemical agents in use. Not to mention human remains and expensive equipment. It is for your own safety that I told you to stay here. Furthermore, handling bones without wearing proper gloves can compromise them, particularly in a murder case. In this instance, where the victim has been dead for almost a hundred years, that will not be an issue, but that is not the point."

Christine nodded solemnly. She had indeed been well aware of the need to stay in her mother's office when she was asked to, but the excitement of seeing the bones had caused her to ignore this requirement.

Brennan took a deep breath and continued, looking intently at Christine, "Most importantly, and what I want you to remember if you ever think about doing something like this again, is this. The remains laid out in that room are those of a young man from the early 1900s. My examination has determined that he was approximately eighteen years old when he died, less than ten years older than you are now. He was a soldier in the First World War, a hero who fought for his country, just like your father, and sacrificed his life in the process. He deserves to be remembered and honored for what he did, and his remains deserve to be treated with the utmost care and respect. What you did was very disrespectful, Christine. That femur is not a toy, an object to be picked up and played with, it is part of this man's memory, bearing evidence of the harsh and difficult life that he led. These bones represent the life of a human being, and they should be treated accordingly. Do you understand?"

Christine blinked back tears as her guilt began to overwhelm her. She hadn't even considered the life or the person behind the remains; all she could see were white, clean bones beckoning her to touch them. She felt terrible for what she had done, and for disappointing her mother.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," she said, her voice trembling slightly, "I didn't think about any of that. I swear I'll never do it again."

Brennan smiled and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders, gently brushing away the few tears which had managed to escape and run down her cheeks, "Apology accepted. I promise that when you are older I will take you down to limbo and talk you through a full examination of a set of remains. I know you thought that you were mature enough for that now, but your actions today have proven otherwise. Be patient, Christine. There are plenty of other scientific endeavors for you to embark on in the meantime."

Christine smiled and hugged her mother, who returned her smile and kissed the top of her head.

At that moment, Angela and Michael reappeared in the doorway.

"Is everything alright, Bren?" Angela asked.

Brennan nodded and replied, "I believe so. I have explained to Christine the consequences of her actions, and I believe that she has genuine remorse for what she and Michael did."

At the mention of his name, Michael turned to Brennan, "I'm really sorry, Aunt Temperance," he said in a low voice, "I shouldn't have made Christine sneak into the exam room."

"You are forgiven, Michael." Brennan replied, "This escapade may have been your idea, but Christine made the decision to follow you. I am quite certain you did not force her."

Michael smiled, glad that Brennan was no longer angry with him.

"So," Angela said, turning to Brennan, "do you think it's safe to leave our little thieves here alone again while we finish what we were doing?"

Brennan looked at both Christine and Michael, "I believe so. Christine?"

"I promise we will stay here this time, Mom." Christine assured her mother.

"Yeah, we will." Michael added, "We can finish the puzzle we were doing."

Satisfied that their children would stay put this time, Brennan and Angela smiled and turned to leave, Brennan having retrieved the stolen femur from her desk, and promised to be finished within the next hour.

Once they had gone, Christine turned to Michael, "I told you we shouldn't have done that."

"I know," Michael acknowledged, "but, hey, you got to hold a real human bone. It was pretty cool, wasn't it?"

Christine thought back to her mother's words, "Yes, but it was also disrespectful. The bones were a person once, and we should have left him alone."

Michael nodded in agreement, then turned to look at the puzzle on the floor, "Shall we finish this, now? I want to tell my Dad when I get home that I did it, and we haven't even gotten to the fireflies yet!"

Christine laughed, only Michael and his father could ever get this excited about bugs.

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be posting the next one in a few days. It will feature some father/daughter bonding over a mutual love of sports. Reviews are welcomed and very much appreciated. Thank you. **


	4. Daddy's Girl

**A big thank you to everyone who has been following this series, and to those who have just discovered it, I really hope you're all enjoying it so far. Reviews are very gratefully received, even if you just want to leave a few words, and always replied to if possible. **

Twelve-year-old Christine Booth was on her hands and knees on her bedroom floor, one arm fishing around under her bed attempting to locate her right sneaker. Her mother was out that day at a spa with her best friend, Angela, and so she was spending the day with her father. Christine loved days like this. She had her father's undivided attention, and they were planning on spending the afternoon just hanging out together, kicking a ball around the yard, and feeding Christine's sweet tooth with ice-cream. As much as she enjoyed doing science experiments and being with her mother, she cherished the times where she could just be with her father, talking with him and sharing their love of sports.

Her fingers touched the laces of the sneaker, and she tugged it out from under the bed.

"Hey, Stapes, you about ready to head outside?"

Booth called up the stairs to Christine, using the nickname that had stuck with her since she was born.

"Coming, Dad!" Christine called back.

She pulled on her sneaker and jumped to her feet, racing out of her room and down the stairs to where her father was standing with an enthusiastic grin on his face.

"You ready to take on your old Dad, Stapes? I'm warning you, I'm feeling pretty lucky today!"

Christine laughed. Part of the fun they had together was ribbing each other about their abilities in sport. Sometimes, they would be joined by her mother, Parker, Michael, and occasionally Angela and Hodgins too, which would allow them to form small teams to play soccer or basketball in the yard. Today, however, it was just the two of them, and they would be taking turns taking shots at goal and defending it. It was a beautiful day outside at the height of the summer, and so they were both dressed in shorts and t-shirts.

Just before they reached the door, Booth pulled Christine to a stop and asked with a hint of anxiety in his voice, "Did you remember to put on your sunblock? I don't want to get yelled at by your mom like the last time!"

Christine chuckled, remembering the last time that she and her father had been left alone on a hot summer's day. Booth had been tied up with a heavy caseload for months, and they had been so excited at finally having the chance to spend the day together, that they had both completely forgotten about sun protection. Brennan had arrived home to find her rather miserable looking husband and daughter nursing sunburn on their arms and legs, Christine even managing to have gotten her nose burnt as well.

As Brennan applied a soothing after sun lotion to Christine's legs, she had lectured them both about the responsible use of sunblock, making Booth feel a little like a child himself. Later that night when he had told Brennan how she had made him feel, she had more than made up for it by applying the lotion to his own burns, and to some other choice areas of his anatomy as well.

"Don't worry, Dad," Christine assured him, "I put plenty on. Have you?"

"Oh yeah," Booth replied, I'm not going through all that again!" _Not that the pain wasn't worth it in the end,_ Booth thought to himself.

Walking out into the yard, Christine grabbed the ball from by the door while Booth jogged over to the goal.

"Alright, Stapes," Booth shouted over to her, "let's see what you've got!"

Christine grinned and placed the ball on the ground by her feet, trying not to get distracted by her father's exaggerated dancing around the mouth of the goal, waving his arms around and running from side to side in an effort to throw off her concentration.

Walking backwards a few paces to give herself room to run at the ball, Christine sized up the goal, and her dancing dad, before deciding on the angle of her shot. Choosing to aim at the right hand corner, Christine jogged up to the ball, feigned slightly to the left in an attempt to mislead her father about her intentions, and kicked the ball into the air. It flew in a graceful arc over the distance between Christine and the goal – and soared over the top of it before slamming against the fence.

"Ooooo," Booth yelled triumphantly, "and so close! Thought you were being clever trying to trick me there, didn't you?"

Christine rolled her eyes and watched her father grab the ball from where it had bounced over to land next to the goal.

Spinning it around cockily in his hands, Booth looked at Christine, "You, eh, want this back so you can try again? Or was that just a little too humiliating for you?"

Christine grinned back, "I was just making sure you were awake, old man. This time I mean business!"

"Haha, check out the fighting talk from the littlest Booth!" Booth laughed, enjoying the teasing repartee with his daughter. He rolled the ball back to Christine and returned to his place in goal, this time crouching down with his arms outstretched, wiggling his butt from side to side and hopping from foot to foot. Christine retrieved the ball and giggled at her father's antics.

"Dad, you look ridiculous! How do you expect to save any goals standing like that?"

"Well," Booth replied, "since I don't actually expect you to get the ball anywhere near the goal, I don't think it matters how I stand!"

Christine's competitive hackles were raised and she positioned the ball on the ground again, "You just wait, old man," Christine shouted confidently, "in a minute I'll be the one dancing around with my victory dance!"

Booth chuckled and waited for Christine to take her shot. Opting for a different tactic this time, Christine kicked the ball straight across the grass, aiming for the open space to Booth's left. Just as she thought the ball might make it in, Booth leapt to the side and dove for the ball, grabbing it before it could cross the goal line.

Christine sighed in resignation and braced herself for the mocking she was about to receive. Booth got to his feet and dusted off his shorts. "So," he said with a wide grin on his face, "how does that victory dance go? Maybe something like this?" He began singing a 'da da da da, dah' rhythm while shaking his hips and head from side to side, whilst moving his arms in a circular motion in front of him.

Christine couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked, but she was determined to beat him this time, and perform a little victory dance of her own, albeit with far better style than her father!

Booth tossed the ball back to her, "Third time lucky then, Stapes! Give it your best shot!"

Repositioning the ball and disregarding any attempt at planning her shot, Christine felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins as she ran up to the ball and kicked it as hard as she could in the direction of the goal. She watched it soar through the air – and right past Booth's head straight into the back of the net.

"Yes!" Christine yelled triumphantly, grinning happily at her success and doing her own version of the hand jive while jiggling from side to side, which, she had to admit, probably looked pretty ridiculous, too.

Booth grinned at his daughter and did an exaggerated bow in acknowledgement, before picking up the ball and rolling it back to her.

"Ah, that was just a fluke! Bet you can't do it again!"

Christine stopped her dance and yelled back, "Bet I can!"

Grabbing the ball, she positioned it for her next shot.

For the next ten minutes Christine took more shots at Booth, managing to get most of them past him. She had to wonder if sometimes he was letting them get past in order to let her win, but she didn't care. Although winning and gloating were fun, what she enjoyed the most was spending time with her father.

Afterwards, the players switched places and Christine took her turn in goal. Booth got quite a few shots past her, but she also saved a respectable number, giving her ample opportunity to repeat her victory dance.

Once they were finished playing and had grabbed some water, they lay down on the grass side by side and stared up at the cloudless sky.

Booth turned to face Christine, "I'm having a great afternoon with you, Stapes. Although, your soccer skills definitely need some work!"

"Ha!" Christine huffed, "If mine do then so do yours, or have you forgotten in your old age about all the goals you missed?"

Booth laughed and jabbed her lightly in the ribs, "Hey, less wisecracks about my age if you don't mind! And anyway, I'm not old, I'm just mature."

Christine laughed and replied, "You sure didn't look very mature when you were dancing around like an idiot!"

"True," Booth acknowledged, "but it got you smiling, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Christine agreed, "it did."

"Guess I'm a pretty good dad then, huh?" Booth asked jokingly, with a barely discernible note of doubt lacing his voice.

"You're a great dad," Christine replied vehemently, "I know some people whose dads don't play with them, or who aren't even around."

Booth looked at her seriously, having a feeling he knew where this was going, "Yeah, like who?"

"Like a few of the kids at my karate club, the ones in foster care, like …," Christine hesitated and looked away from him.

"Like your mom was," Booth answered for her.

"Yeah." Christine answered solemnly.

Seeming to gather her courage, Christine raised her eyes and looked directly at her father.

"Dad? Why don't I know anything about how mom ended up in foster care? I mean, where was Grandpa, and Uncle Russ? Why was she left all alone?"

Booth sighed. Up until now, Christine had seemed content with the few facts that they had given her about Brennan's childhood; knowing only that her Grandmother had died before she was born, and that, around the same time, her mother had ended up in foster care for a while. Sensing that the subject was upsetting for her mother, Christine had never asked for more details. He and Brennan had discussed this issue before, knowing that one day Christine was bound to start asking more specific questions about Brennan's past. They had both agreed that, when Christine was old enough, they would sit down together as a family with Max and tell her the truth. But today was not to be that day. Christine was only twelve years old, and though intellectually precocious, Booth knew that she wasn't emotionally prepared to find out that her beloved grandfather was a criminal, who had abandoned her mother and uncle and gotten her grandmother killed.

Booth met his daughter's concerned gaze and took her hand in his, "Listen, Stapes. I know you have questions about your mom, and that's okay, but what happened is complicated, and there are things that we just don't think you're quite ready to hear."

"But why?" Christine protested, "You and mom are always saying how smart I am for my age. I could handle the truth now, I know I could!"

Booth squeezed her hand and looked at her intently, "Please try to understand, Stapes. This has nothing to do with how smart you are. It's up to your mom and I to protect you, and in this case that means keeping certain things from you until you're old enough to understand them. I know that's frustrating, but I need you to trust us that we know what's best for you, and that one day we will answer all your questions."

Christine sighed and looked away for a minute, processing what her father had said.

Booth waited patiently, afraid that she was angry with him, but took heart in the fact that she hadn't let go of his hand. Allowing her the time she needed to think through his words, Booth simply waited silently.

After a minute or two, Christine turned back to look at him, "Okay, Dad, I won't ask about it anymore. But, do you promise that you will tell me eventually?"

Booth nodded, "I promise."

Christine nodded too, and Booth put his arm around her and pulled her over into a fierce hug, both grateful and proud for her understanding and patience.

"So," Booth said, releasing her, "how about some ice-cream?"

A slow smile spread across Christine's face, "Okay, sure. What kinds do we have?"

Booth thought for a moment, "I think we've got rocky road and vanilla. Which one would you like?"

Christine raised her eyebrows hopefully, "Both?"

Booth smiled, "Both it is!"

Christine wasn't finished however, "Can I have them with chocolate sauce?"

"Sure," Booth nodded.

"With jelly beans?"

Booth looked mildly disgusted, "With jelly beans? Really?"

"Yeah!" Christine replied, "I love them, they add extra flavor!"

Booth chuckled and pulled her to her feet, "You are one weird kid, you know that?"

Christine grinned as her father put his arm around her and led her into the house.

"Yeah, but you love me."

"That I do, Stapes," Booth agreed, "that I do."

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one is going to take me a little longer to write, because I need to re-watch some of the old episodes to make sure I get my facts straight, and there's a lot going to happen in it. It will also probably be the longest chapter in the series, so you'll get more for having to wait a few extra days! I'll post it as soon as I can though. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the series so far. Thank you. **


	5. Family History

**PLEASE READ FIRST: ****This series is written mainly with humor in mind, however, for just this one chapter, I'm going to take a break from that to address what I believe will be a very important issue in Christine's life – the day she finds out the truth about her mother's past, and what her grandparents did. I feel that I need to write this chapter, as Christine will need to be told eventually, and I don't believe it would be either realistic or appropriate to try to make this humorous, although there are some moments of light relief along the way. This site only allows me to give this story two categories, and since this series is mainly humor/family, those are the categories I chose to give it, so my apologies to anyone who came here mainly for the humor element. Since these chapters are one-shots and only loosely connected, if anyone wishes to avoid angst and stick with humor, then you can skip this chapter, as all the rest will be light and humorous. However, this is an important day for Christine, and for Booth and Brennan, so I really hope that you will share it with them. **

**This is a very long chapter, and I'm really sorry about that, and I really hope that it doesn't put anybody off reading it. In normal circumstances, I would have split it into two, maybe even three, but I didn't want the angst to spill over into other chapters of what is mainly a humorous series, and I also feel that it flows better as one long chapter. When I first began this series, I had no idea that I would end up writing a chapter like this, but Christine's story insisted on being told, so I just went with it. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites and put it on alert so far, your continued support is very much appreciated, and I hope that this chapter will not disappoint. **

Fifteen-year-old Christine Booth walked sadly up the driveway of her house, her thoughts consumed by what she had discovered that evening. Her friend, Sophie Anderson, who she had met at her karate club several months earlier, had turned up to class with a black eye. Christine had been immediately concerned, and had questioned Sophie about it. Initially, she had been reluctant to discuss it, but at the end of the class when the two of them had been in the changing rooms, Sophie had began to cry, and admitted that her foster father had gotten angry and punched her.

Christine had been shocked at first, and then angry and upset on her friend's behalf, and asked whether she had reported it to the police. Sophie had told her that she had informed her social worker, who had referred the matter to the police. Sophie had now been placed in a different foster home, but was still struggling to deal with what had happened to her.

Christine had waited with Sophie for her foster mother to pick her up, talking with her and doing her best to comfort her. Once Sophie had left and Christine had boarded her bus home, she had had the opportunity to think more about what she had been told.

When Sophie had first admitted what had happened, Christine had been too concerned and angry to think about anything else. Once she was alone, however, Christine's thoughts had drifted to her mother, and what her time in foster care might have been like. Had she been abused too? How had she ended up there in the first place?

Christine cast her mind back to a conversation she had had with her father three years earlier, in which she had asked about her mother's past. Her father had told her that, at the time, she wasn't old enough to be told the truth, but that one day, they would sit down as a family and discuss everything. Christine couldn't help but feel that she was ready to know now, and resolved to speak to her parents about it that night.

Placing her hand on the door handle and pushing the door open, Christine walked into the house and through to the kitchen.

"Hey, Stapes." her father greeted her. "How was class tonight?"

Christine smiled at her father, who was dressed in a gaudy apron bearing the words 'All Hail to the Chef,' and appeared to be in the middle of cooking dinner.

"It was okay, thanks." Christine replied. "Where's Mom?"

"She's working late tonight, so I'm making dinner for us. She said she'd grab something at the lab."

Christine nodded distractedly, dropping her gym bag on the floor and walking closer to her father, wrestling with her thoughts and trying to figure out how to broach the subject of her mother's past.

"Dad?" she eventually asked.

"What is it, Stapes?" Booth asked. "You okay?"

"Not really, no."

A look of concern crossed Booth's face as he put down the utensils he was holding and walked round in front of the kitchen counter to where Christine was standing.

"What's wrong?"

Christine looked down at the ground for a moment, gathering her courage, before looking up at her father. "One of my friends at my karate class came in tonight with a black eye. Her foster dad punched her in the face."

Booth looked shocked, and then his brow furrowed in anger. "Damn it, that's awful. I'm sorry, Stapes. Is your friend okay?"

"Not right now, but she's been moved to another family and her ex-foster father has been arrested, but I'm hoping that she'll be okay. I talked with her for a while, and I think I made her feel a bit better."

"Well that's good." Booth replied and smiled.

Seeing the look of hesitation on his daughter's face, Booth asked. "Is there something else on your mind, Stapes?"

Christine took a deep breath. "When Sophie told me what happened to her, it got me thinking about mom, and what she might have gone through when she was in foster care."

Booth sighed as the smile disappeared from his face. Christine continued.

"You told me three years ago that I wasn't ready to hear the truth about mom's past, but I'm fifteen years old now, and I have a lot of questions. I want to know the answers, Dad. I think I'm ready to hear them."

Booth closed his eyes in resignation for a moment, before opening them and meeting his daughter's intense gaze. "Yeah, I think you are, too."

"Really?" Christine asked in surprise. Though very grateful that she would now be learning the truth about her family, she had been prepared for her father to tell her again that she wasn't old enough, and was surprised that he had agreed with her.

Booth spoke again. "Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, and your mom will be home tonight. I'll talk to her about this then, okay?"

"Okay," Christine replied, "thanks, Dad."

Booth nodded and turned back to the kitchen.

Christine picked up her gym bag and walked up the stairs to her room, intent on getting a shower and changing before dinner.

While she went about these tasks, she thought about what she would soon be learning about her family. Knowing as she did that her parents had resisted telling her the truth for so long because they felt that she hadn't been emotionally mature enough to hear it, she knew that whatever she was going to find out had to be very serious, and this knowledge filled her with curiosity, and no small degree of trepidation.

)()()()()()()()()()(

Booth sat at the kitchen table later that night after Christine had gone to bed, waiting for his wife to come home. Deep in thought, his elbows rested on the table and his chin was supported by his interlaced fingers.

For years now, Booth had dreaded this moment. When Brennan walked through the door that night, he was going to have to tell her that they couldn't hold off any longer, and that it was time for Christine to learn the truth.

He knew that Brennan was dreading this day even more than he was. Talking about her past with him had always been painful enough, but to have to share what she had gone through with her own daughter, and to have to admit that the grandfather she had idolized and adored all her life was a criminal, a killer, hurt Brennan deeply.

She had told him once that she wished she could keep the truth from Christine forever, and keep her ignorant of the horrors that existed in her family's history. It was so unlike Brennan to wish to shield her daughter from reality, that Booth knew how terrified she was that Christine would never be able to forgive her grandfather, or her mother for keeping the truth from her for so long.

Booth was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a car reversing into the driveway. He took a deep breath and slowly rose from his chair and walked towards the door, ready to greet his wife.

Brennan opened the door a few moments later, arms laden with books, files and her briefcase. Booth stepped forward to help her carry them over to the table.

"Thank you, Booth." Brennan smiled and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

"Did Christine enjoy her karate class this evening?" Brennan asked as she riffled through the stack of papers she had just placed on the table.

Booth walked up to stand beside her, touching her arm to make sure he would have her full attention. Brennan turned to look at him, concern marring her features.

"What's wrong, Booth? Is Christine alright? Was she injured during her class?"

Booth rushed to reassure her. "No, no, she's fine, it's nothing like that."

"Then, what?" Brennan asked.

Booth sighed, taking her hand in his and reaching deep within himself to find the strength to do what he had to do.

Brennan's concern grew. "Booth, please tell me what's going on, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry, Bones, this is just hard for me to say. Christine came home kind of upset. One of her friends in her class is a foster kid, and apparently she arrived tonight with a black eye. Her foster father he, uh, he punched her."

Brennan's face registered a myriad of emotions; concern, anger, disgust, fear.

Booth continued, trying to push through his own conflicted emotions and force the words out.

"Christine told me that it got her thinking, about you, and what might have happened to you when you were in the system."

Booth felt Brennan's hand begin to tremble in his, and he squeezed it harder in response.

"Bones ..." Booth almost choked on the words as he saw his wife's eyes fill with tears, comprehension dawning on her face.

Booth cleared his throat and looked into her eyes intently. "It's time, Bones. We have to tell Christine the truth."

Brennan stared at him for a long moment, a single tear gliding down her cheek to splash onto their joined hands.

Booth held his breath, afraid that she was going to argue with him, insist that she needed more time, and that they could wait to tell Christine.

Instead, Brennan simply nodded, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment and drawing in a deep breath, before raising her eyes to Booth's.

"Okay," she said, "I will call my father in the morning."

Booth nodded and pulled her into a fierce embrace, attempting to give them both the strength they would need to get through this together.

)()()()()()()()()()(

The next day, Christine and her parents were seated around the kitchen counter, silently eating breakfast. None of them were particularly hungry, but somehow they felt the need to maintain the pretence of normality, given what lay ahead of them.

Christine looked up from her cereal and eyed her parents anxiously. Her mother was picking at a piece of toast, staring into space, and had barely said a word all morning. Her father had hardly eaten anything either, spending most of his time shooting his wife looks of love and concern.

Even though she knew that she had every right to be told about her family's past, Christine still felt terribly guilty. Her mother was obviously extremely distressed by the prospect, which in turn had caused her father obvious concern.

Christine pushed aside her cereal and reached for her glass of orange juice, her mouth suddenly dry.

A knock at the door caused everyone in the room to look up sharply.

Brennan took a deep breath and slowly stood and crossed the room to open the door.

"Hi, honey," Max said gently, a sad smile on his face as he leant forward and embraced his daughter. Brennan held on tightly, relishing the last few moments when her own daughter was still ignorant of the awful truth she was about to learn.

Walking into the room, Max smiled at his granddaughter. "Hi, angel."

"Hi, Grandpa," Christine replied, her anxiety growing.

Max nodded in Booth's direction. "Booth, how are you doing?"

Booth walked over to stand next to his wife, putting his arm around her. "I've been better, Max."

"Yeah," Max acknowledged, "me too."

Christine watched the exchange with increasing trepidation, her stomach turning itself in knots as her mind raced with the possibilities of what secrets in her family's past could be so awful as to warrant the seriousness of their behavior.

Her mother turned to her, her voice quavering slightly as she spoke. "Christine, please sit down."

Christine looked at her father for reassurance. Booth moved towards her and took her hand gently. "It's okay, Stapes, I'm right here."

Christine nodded and allowed her father to lead her over to the couch, followed by her mother and grandpa who seated themselves on the opposite couch.

After a moment or two of awkward silence, Brennan spoke. "Dad, it's time."

Max nodded solemnly, and turned to his granddaughter.

"Honey, there are some things that I have to tell you about my past, and about how your mom ended up in foster care. These things are going to be hard for you to hear, but I need you to remember that I love you and your mom more than anything in this world, and that I would do anything for you. Okay?"

"Okay, Grandpa," Christine nodded.

Max drew in a deep breath, and began to speak. "I didn't have much of a childhood. My father ran out on my mother and I when I was five, and we never saw him again. Mom couldn't cope, and after a stint with alcohol and anti-depressants, she turned to drugs."

Christine's face registered her sadness and sympathy for the great-grandmother she had never known, and for the childhood her grandpa must have endured. Max continued.

"After a while, the money started to run out. She couldn't hold down a job, and so she had no way to pay her dealer. That's where I came in. The guy had brought drugs round to the house a couple of times, and he figured I looked like the kind of kid who could get away with things. Cute face, you know?"

Christine smiled slightly at his attempt at humor, listening as he went on.

"I started small time; stealing a wallet here, a purse there, enough to pay off mom's debt to him. Then, when I was fifteen, I came home and found mom dead on the couch. She'd overdosed; I guess it was bound to happen eventually."

Christine noticed her mother look down at the ground as she listened to the fate of her grandmother, and watched as her grandpa took her hand and squeezed it.

"After that I had no one, except her dealer, and he was more than happy to take in a kid like me."

Max chuckled without humor. "I was his protégé, and he trained me up to be the perfect little criminal. Eventually I migrated into robbery; convenience stores, jewelry stores, you name it. Anything he asked me, I did. I'm not proud of it, but I was just a kid who thought he had nowhere else to turn. Then I met your grandmother."

A wistful smile appeared on Max's face. "She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and I'd seen a few by that time in my life. She had a smile that could make you believe you were invincible, that there was some good in you even if you were the worst guy in the world."

Christine smiled at the obvious love in his voice. "How did you meet?"

Max chuckled. "Now there's an interesting story. Her father was an attorney, would you believe, and I was in court on charges of robbery when he brought his daughter into work. She was there to help out with research, and I guess I caught her eye. My cute face at work again."

Brennan chuckled in spite of herself, and Booth shook his head, causing Christine to smile.

"Anyway, a few days later when I was cut loose, the key witness testimony having fallen through, I bumped into her again in town. She recognized me from the courthouse, and I couldn't believe my luck when she started talking to me. She asked me how I'd ended up in court, and before I knew it, that smile of hers had coaxed me into telling her my life story. I thought she'd run for the hills, she should have. She had a life, a family, every chance for a brilliant future, and who was I? Some guy going nowhere but jail or a coffin. I couldn't understand why she gave me the time of day."

Christine smiled, liking the sound of her grandmother. "But she did?"

A corresponding smile appeared on Max's face. "Yeah, she sure did. She tried to save me from myself, tried to get me to walk the straight and narrow. Her father found out about us and he was furious, did everything he could to keep us apart. But it didn't work. We were in love, and nothing was gonna stand in our way."

Booth and Brennan smiled at each other, they knew the feeling.

"I tried to go straight, I really did, but I was in too deep by then, and I knew that there was no way out for me."

Max sighed heavily, looking at Christine as though pleading with her to understand. "I begged your grandmother to leave me, to get out while she still could. She was a diamond in a pile of stones; she deserved so much better than me."

"She obviously didn't agree," Christine replied.

"No, she was stubborn," Max acknowledged, "like two other people I know." He said, smiling at his daughter and granddaughter, who both smiled back.

Max's tone grew serious again. "After a while, the gangs I was involved with became aware of your grandmother, and before I knew it we were doing jobs together. Her family begged her to leave me and come back to them, but by then I was her whole world, and she wouldn't listen. We moved to Ohio a few years later, and she never saw them again. We got married, trying to pretend we were a normal, everyday couple. And of course," Max smiled and squeezed his daughter's hand again, "along the way, we had your mom and Russ."

A smile crossed Christine's face, and Max hesitated, knowing that in a few minutes that smile would disappear, and he might never see it again.

"This is where things get complicated. Your grandmother and I got involved with this crew, a real hard ass group who knocked over banks for a living. They liked guns and they liked money, but they liked violence even more."

Christine's shoulders began to tense up, her smile fading as her earlier anxiety returned. Max saw the change in her, and with deep regret continued his story.

"By this point, our little band of thieves had attracted considerable attention, and a task force made up of the FBI, state police and local law enforcement was assigned to track us down and toss our asses in jail. Problem was, the cops weren't all above board themselves. Some of the FBI guys started working with our crew, taking cuts of the stolen cash as bribes to keep the rest of the task force off our tail."

Christine's eyes widened and she turned to her father, an FBI agent himself and one of the most honorable men she knew, who could only nod solemnly in confirmation. Christine turned back to her grandfather as he continued to speak.

"Your grandma and I weren't fans of violence, we didn't see the need for it, and we certainly didn't get any pleasure from it like the rest of them did. We used our intelligence to get around security systems, and specialized in stealing the contents of safety deposit boxes."

Christine didn't like the feelings that were consuming her. Her grandparents had been big time criminals, and she was beginning to understand why her parents had kept this from her for so long. Unbeknownst to Christine however, this was only the tip of a very serious iceberg.

"Things started heating up for the crooked agents on the task force, " Max went on, "and so they conspired to frame an innocent man, a civil rights activist and a political threat to the bigwigs in government, named Marvin Beckett, by planting some of the stolen cash in his possession."

"That's terrible!" Christine was horrified at the thought that FBI agents could have done such a thing.

"Yeah, it was," Max agreed, "but I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, honey."

Christine blanched, how much worse was this going to get?

"As it turned out," Max continued, "there was one decent agent who knew about the conspiracy. His name was Gus Harper, and he couldn't live with what was being done to Beckett. He decided to blow the whistle, and began gathering evidence that would expose the crew and the corrupt agents. He hid that evidence in a safety deposit box in a bank in Ohio. Your grandma and I stole the contents of that box, on the orders of the crew, who had become aware of what Harper was planning."

Christine gasped. "You were going to help them frame that poor man?"

Max tried to explain. "We didn't have a choice, honey. We thought about handing it over to the authorities, but we knew that the crew would send a hit man to kill us, and your mom and Russ, if we did."

Looking at her mother fearfully, Christine struggled to comprehend what she was hearing; this was far more serious that anything she had imagined. It was only her father's calming presence beside her and his gentle hand on her arm that kept her seated. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going.

"The men involved in this conspiracy weren't about to risk everything they had on one man." Max continued, "So they killed Harper to ensure he would never expose them. On top of that, they managed to frame Beckett for his murder too, and he was sentenced to life in prison."

Christine struggled through her shock and disgust and asked in a trembling voice. "What, um, what about the evidence you and grandma had? Did you give it to them?"

Max shook his head. "No, we didn't. We kept it with us. We couldn't stay with the crew anymore, not after that. So we did the only thing we could do - we ran. We took your mother and Russ and moved out of state, and assumed new identities so that the crew couldn't track us down."

A look of complete confusion crossed Christine's face. "New identities? I don't understand."

Brennan leant forward. "Christine, Temperance Brennan isn't my real name, and your uncle's real name isn't Russ. I was born Joy Kennan, and Russ was named Kyle. Your grandpa's name was Matthew, and your grandma's name was Ruth."

"Oh my God," Christine whispered, feeling as if the foundations of her world had been shaken to their core.

"But, you named me after her!" she exclaimed. "Why would you do that if Christine wasn't even her real name?"

"It was her real name to me," Brennan explained gently. "I was only a toddler when this happened, and so I grew up knowing my mother as Christine Brennan, not Ruth Kennan."

Christine nodded. "Alright, I can accept that. But how did you end up in foster care?"

Brennan took a deep breath and looked at her father. "I think I had better allow your grandpa to explain that."

Max sat forward, a look of painful regret on his face.

"A few days before Christmas in 1991, your grandma and I were out gift shopping, when we saw a man named Vince McVicar, a hit man frequently used by the crew. We knew he had been sent to kill us and our kids, and take back the evidence of the conspiracy. We had to act quickly and lead him away from your mom and Russ, so we packed up some things, got in the car, and just kept driving."

Tears were beginning to form in Christine's eyes, which were mirrored in those of her mother's.

"You abandoned your children? You just left without telling them? How could you do that to them?"

Max leant closer to her, clasping her hand, begging her to understand. "We had no choice, sweetheart, he would have killed them! We had to make him chase us instead, it was the only way to protect them."

Christine tried to recover herself. "And did he?"

Max swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Yeah, he did. He caught up with us almost two years later, and while we were running from him, he managed to land a blow on your grandmother's head. We thought it was just a glancing blow, she didn't even have a concussion. But over the next few months, she started getting sick. She would get headaches, dizziness and nausea. I begged her to let me take her to a doctor, but she refused, afraid that medical records would lead McVicar right to us, and then to our kids."

Tears welled in Max's eyes, and Brennan grabbed his hand, her eyes searching for her husband's comforting gaze. Booth smiled slightly and nodded, silently communicating his love and support for her.

"We didn't know it at the time, but she had what's called a subdural hematoma, a bleed on the brain, that had been getting bigger since the attack. She just kept getting weaker and weaker, until …," clearing his throat to force the words out, Max looked at Christine sadly, "until she eventually died in my arms."

Tears spilled over Christine's eyelids, as waves of sadness and sympathy washed over her. "I'm so sorry, Grandpa."

"So am I, honey," Max replied solemnly, "So am I. I wanted to lay her to rest properly, so I buried her on the outskirts of a cemetery in Pennsylvania, where we were at the time."

Brennan took over the narrative. "Seven years later, her remains were discovered and, when they couldn't be identified, they were sent to the Jeffersonian. I identified her and her cause of death myself."

Christine gasped in horror. "Oh God, Mom! That must have been so awful for you."

Brennan nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "It was extremely difficult, however, "she smiled at Booth, "I had your father to help me, and at least by finding my mother's remains, it gave me the chance to find out what had happened to my parents. Before then I had no information at all."

Christine nodded, glad that her mother had been able to take something positive out of such an awful experience.

"So what happened next?" she asked.

"Well we found McVicar," Booth spoke up from next to her, "he had decided to rat out the crew to save his own skin, so he was in witness protection working as a pig farmer. Eventually, through your mom and her team's brilliant forensic work, we were able to prove that it was him who had murdered your grandmother, and he was sent to prison."

Christine sighed in relief, feeling safer in the knowledge that he was no longer at large. She caught sight of a look being exchanged between her parents and grandfather, and felt her momentary relief morph into a renewed sense of anxiety.

"There's more, isn't there?"

Max nodded and sighed in regretful resignation as he began the hardest part of his story; the part that he was sure would change the way his beloved granddaughter would look at him forever.

"Yes, honey, and this is the part that's gonna be the hardest for you to hear. I finally had the man who killed my wife and had threatened my family behind bars where he couldn't harm my children or me, and I just couldn't let him live after what he'd done. I used my old criminal connections and looked up a guy locked up in the same prison as McVicar, and I had him take care of him."

Christine shuffled back in her seat slightly, subconsciously edging away from her grandfather as the truth began to sink in – the gentle man she had loved all her life had ordered the death of another human being.

"Oh God," Christine said, almost in a whisper.

Booth rushed to put his arm around her, rubbing her back reassuringly, while Max looked at her with a remorseful expression. "I'm so sorry honey, but there's more you need to know. This isn't the worst thing I've done."

Christine's hands began to shake as she stared in horrified disbelief at her grandfather. If _ordering _the death of someone wasn't the worst he had done, then the worst thing must be …

Her father's worried voice cut through her thoughts. "Max, maybe that's enough for now. I think Christine needs some time to take in all this."

"No!" Christine said, almost violently, shaking off Booth's arm that still rested on her shoulders. "I have to know now. What else did you do, Grandpa?"

Max looked at her with a pained expression, loathe to grant her request, but knowing that he had no choice.

"Once your mother and Russ had your grandmother buried properly, I went to visit her grave. I left a small silver dolphin there, she loved dolphins, just like your mother, and your mom discovered it."

"The FBI traced the buyer," her father added, "and we brought in your grandpa for questioning."

"Once that happened," Max took over again, "the corrupt agents found out, and one of them, a former agent who had been part of the conspiracy named Garrett Delaney, came to me and threatened to kill your mom or Russ if I didn't hand over the evidence from Gus Harper's safety deposit box. I had no choice, Christine, I had to do it."

"Do what?" Christine demanded, her voice taking on an edge of steel. "What exactly did you do, Grandpa?"

Brennan tried to step in. "Christine, I think you know what …"

"No!" Christine yelled, cutting off her mother in mid-sentence. "I need to hear him say it!"

Max's expression was anguished as he struggled with the words that he feared would make his granddaughter hate him, "I, I …"

"Say it, dammit!" Christine almost screamed as her parents looked on in shock.

"I killed him," Max admitted. "I shot him in the head, slashed open his abdomen, and burned his body on a rooftop as a warning to the other corrupt cops not to go after my kids."

For Christine, it was as if time had stopped, everything around her seemed frozen in place. As Max's story had unfolded, she had felt she knew what he was going to say, but hearing him actually say the words was almost more than Christine could stand.

Looking into her grandfather's eyes and at the worried faces of her parents, she knew that he wasn't finished, and she demanded in a voice that shook with barely restrained anger. "What else? Is there more?"

"Yes, there, there is more." Max's voice had broken along with his heart at the look of horrified disgust on his beloved granddaughter's face.

"After I uh, after I killed Delaney, another FBI agent, Deputy Director Robert Kirby, tried to kill Russ by shooting at him, and your father, but he missed. I knew he would try again, so I sent Russ out on a job interview and waited for Kirby. When he arrived at your mother's apartment where Russ had been staying, I killed him, too, and burned his body in the same way as Delaney's."

An anguished cry tore from Christine's throat as she stumbled backwards out of her chair, her breathing coming in short sharp gasps as she tried to move away from Max.

A look of panic appeared on Brennan's face as she tried to reach her daughter, but Christine continued to back away, while Max looked stricken with remorse for the pain he was causing his granddaughter.

Realizing that Christine was in danger of having a panic attack, Booth stood and spoke calmly to her. "Stapes, sweetheart, listen to me. You need to try and calm down. It's okay I …"

"Okay?" Christine cried incredulously, angry tears streaming down her face. "How the hell is any of this okay, Dad, huh? My grandfather is a murderer!"

Max stood up and tried to approach her. "Honey, please, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to have to tell you, but …"

Christine raised both her hands, cutting him off. "I can't, I can't do this. I have to … I have to be alone. Please, just, just leave me alone!"

With that, Christine spun on her heal and ran through the house and up the stairs into the safety of her room.

In the living area, Brennan sank back onto the couch, dropping her head into her hands and began to weep. Booth, wearing his own torment openly on his face, sat next to his wife and pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently.

Max stood alone in the centre of the room, feeling utterly broken. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."

)()()()()()()()()()(

Christine slammed the door of her bedroom and fell heavily against it. Her heart was hammering in her chest, waves of nausea assailed her and she felt faint and dizzy, the sounds of her labored breathing filled the room.

Her grandfather was a murderer.

That sweet, gentle, loving man, who had loved and supported her all her life. Who had played with her, educated her, cared for her - was a killer. It was as if she had been wearing a mask all these years, and now someone had ripped it cruelly away, and she could finally see the painful reality for the first time.

She stared at the objects in her bedroom. On her nightstand; a picture of her and her parents, smiling happily after she had won first prize in her school science fair. On her dresser; a picture of her and her grandfather, the frame sitting next to an ornate china doll he had given her for her tenth birthday. In her open closet; a periscope her grandfather had helped her make on a Science Sunday three years past.

All lies, she couldn't help but think.

In all her anger, fear and horror, it barely registered for Christine that Max had only killed those men to protect his family, that at heart he was a good man who simply followed a different rule book.

To Christine, in that moment, there were no shades of gray, there was only black and white, and in a black and white world, a killer is a killer, no matter what the circumstances.

_I can't stay here. I have to get out. _

Squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists, Christine attempted to control her breathing. After a minute or two, she opened her eyes, her gaze falling on her bedroom window.

Barely thinking about what she was doing, Christine rushed over to the window, tossing aside the throw pillows and other objects that were blocking her path, and pushed open the window.

Looking down, she had a moment's hesitation in which her thoughts became clearer. She knew running away wasn't the answer. Her father had always taught her to stand her ground, to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity, and to face her problems head on. A stab of guilt pierced her stomach as she thought about her mother and father, downstairs and no doubt desperately worried about her.

But then, Christine remembered the other occupant of that room, and knew that she couldn't go back down there and face him. Pushing aside her feelings of doubt, Christine swung her leg out of the window and moved to stand on the ledge.

Naturally agile and athletic thanks to her years of karate training, Christine easily reached the drain pipe that ran up the side of the house, and shimmied down it until she reached the ground.

As soon as her feet touched the earth, Christine began to run.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she raced along the sidewalk, the sound of her sneakers slamming against the tarmac the only thing keeping her focused.

Her breathing was labored and her heart was pounding in her ears. The wind began to pick up and her long brown hair flew out behind her, the cold air making her eyes water. But still she kept running.

Reaching the bus stop a few minutes later, Christine finally stopped. She bent over, her hands braced against her knees, her breathing coming in pants as she tried not to vomit.

She only raised her head when the bus pulled up next to her. Boarding the vehicle on shaky legs, she paid her fare and took a seat by the window about halfway up the bus.

Staring out of the window as the bus pulled away, her jumbled thoughts began to coalesce into one single focus. She knew where she needed to go.

)()()()()()()()()()(

Christine sank down on her knees in front of her grandmother's grave.

It had begun to rain, and droplets of water were running down the gravestone bearing the name of her grandmother – yet not.

Christine Brennan. Her name.

Christine stared at the letters etched into the stone. This too, was a lie, she thought bitterly. It ought to say Ruth Keenan, that had been her real name, after all.

She thought back to her mother's words from earlier. She had only known her mother as Christine Brennan, and had chosen to remember her that way. Christine couldn't fault that, and yet, as she sat alone staring at the name, she couldn't help wishing, if only for a moment, that she hadn't been named Christine.

Suddenly, she became aware of soft footfalls rustling the grass behind her. Their owner stopped when he reached her, and sat down gently next to her.

Without turning her head, Christine asked. "How did you know I was here?"

"I know you," Michael replied.

Christine nodded, lacking the strength to ask or even wonder how Michael appeared to know what was going on. Michael decided to fill her in anyway.

"Your mom called my parents when she realised you were gone, and she told them what happened, and they told me. I convinced them to let me come and try to find you without them. I had to pull out the whole 'I'm sixteen now and you should be able to trust me to be out on my own' card, but it worked. Your dad and grandpa are out searching, too. Everyone's really worried, Chris."

Christine merely nodded again, eyes still affixed on her grandmother's name, still refusing to look at him. She clenched her hands in her lap to try to stop them from shaking, not trusting herself to speak, not knowing what she might say. So she just stared straight ahead, silently.

Michael shuffled closer to her, ignoring the moisture that was soaking into the denim of his jeans, and gently placed his hand over Christine's trembling ones, squeezing them tightly. Not speaking, simply letting her know he was there.

His touch warmed her cold hands, and seemed to infuse her with strength. Finally, she spoke.

"My grandpa killed people. He's a murderer."

"I know."

"He and my grandma abandoned my mom. They just ran away and left her. She went through hell because of them."

"I know."

"My grandma was murdered, and the man who did it would have killed my mom, and Uncle Russ, too."

"I know."

Christine turned to look at Michael, tears running down her face.

"I don't know what to do, Michael. I feel like I don't know my own family anymore."

With that she dissolved into tears, collapsing against her best friend.

"I know," Michael whispered, gathering her into his arms and rocking her gently.

The rain continued to fall around them, and Christine continued to cry, her tears mixing with the raindrops that splashed onto her face.

Eventually, Christine sniffled and raised her head from Michael's shoulders, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Thanks."

Michael simply smiled and took her hand again.

The rain had subsided, and was now a light drizzle. Some of the tiny droplets had settled themselves on Christine's eyelashes, and Michael caught his breath. Even soaked through with eyes swollen from crying, Michael thought she looked absolutely beautiful. He mentally kicked himself; this really wasn't the time to be thinking like this. Christine needed him to be her friend. Her eyes were pleading with him for answers, answers he wasn't sure he could give her, but he was determined to do his best.

"Chris, I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now. I know you're probably mad at your grandparents, and maybe at your parents too for keeping this from you. But, you know, I think they did the right thing. This is some seriously heavy stuff, and I reckon they were protecting you by waiting until you were older before they told you."

Christine sniffed and nodded slightly, having already come to that conclusion herself. "Yeah, I guess."

"I get why you bailed, and why you came here, but your grandma doesn't have the answers you need, and no matter how long you sit here and stare at her gravestone, that isn't gonna change. You need to go home to your family, Chris. They're the only ones who can give you the answers."

"I don't know how." Christine said sadly. "When I look at my mom, I just feel so sad because of what she's been through, and I don't know what to say to her. And when I look at my grandpa, I feel so angry that he could do that to her, and that he turned to crime in the first place, and that he killed people. He killed people, Michael!"

"Yeah, he did," Michael acknowledged, "and I can't tell you that that's okay. But he did it to protect your mom and Russ, right? He didn't do it because he liked it, he didn't think he had a choice."

"I know that," Christine replied, her voice rising angrily, "but it's his fault that they were in danger in the first place! I don't know how to forgive him for that, and I don't understand how mom ever did."

"Then why don't you go home and ask her?" Michael said. "You can't stay here, Chris. You have to go back and face this. No matter what he's done in the past he's still your grandpa, and he's been there for you your whole life. Doesn't that count for something?"

Christine sighed. "Yes, it does," she admitted, "but it doesn't mean that I'm not still angry with him."

"I don't blame you for that," Michael replied, "but you still have to face him. Let him explain, and let your mom explain how she was able to forgive him. Maybe what they have to say will surprise you."

Christine nodded, unable to deny the truth of Michael's words.

"And, more to the point," Michael said jokingly, "we're soaked through and freezing. I don't know about you, but the puffy eyed and runny nose look really doesn't work for me."

Christine laughed for the first time since she had found out the truth, and nudged Michael lightly in his side.

"Yeah, and I would never want to mess with your super cool style."

Michael grinned. "Well, as long as we understand each other."

Rising to his feet, Michael reached out his hand to Christine, who took it and allowed herself to be pulled upwards.

Without letting go of her hand, Michael looked directly into her eyes, and asked. "You ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Christine nodded. "I think so."

"Then let's go." They both turned and walked hand in hand out of the cemetery.

On the bus journey back to Christine's house, Michael sat with his arm around her, his other hand holding hers, her head on his shoulder.

Some of the other occupants of the bus smiled. _Ah, young love_, they thought.

When the bus finally reached their stop, Christine reluctantly raised her head from Michael's shoulder and stood up to walk down the aisle to the door, Michael following closely behind her.

The short walk to Christine's house was spent in silence. Michael knew that he had said all he could until Christine had spoken to her family, and that just his presence was enough for her at that moment.

When they reached the house, Christine stopped and turned to Michael, who took her hand again and looked at her reassuringly. "Go on, you can do this."

Christine nodded, letting go of his hand and turning to enter the house.

Suddenly, she turned back to look at him, smiling though her lips were trembling.

"Thanks, Mike."

Michael smiled back. "Anytime, Chris."

Taking a deep breath, Christine turned and opened the door to her house and walked slowly inside.

Michael nodded to himself, before turning around and heading back to the bus stop, glad that he had been able to help his best friend when she needed him most. He desperately hoped that she would be able to sort things out with her family.

)()()()()()()()()(

When Christine entered the house, she was greeted by a very anxious Brennan.

"Christine! Where have you been? Your father and grandpa are out searching for you, and I've been calling all your friends, we've been so worried!"

"I know, Mom," Christine said quietly, "and I'm sorry. I just needed to get out for a while, think things through."

"In the rain?" Brennan replied incredulously.

"It wasn't raining when I left." Christine said.

Brennan came towards her. "Well, in any case, you're soaking and must be freezing. Come upstairs and I'll get you a towel. You should get out of those wet clothes straight away."

Christine moved to walk past her. "I can do it myself, Mom."

Brennan sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Very well, I'll make you a hot chocolate. Please come down once you're finished, we have a lot to discuss."

"Yeah, okay." Christine walked past her mother and up the stairs to her bedroom, where she closed the door and leant against it, closing her eyes and sighing.

After a few moments, she opened them again and began to get undressed, grabbing a used towel from her hamper to dry herself off, before changing into some dry clothes.

Once she was done, Christine stood by the window, gazing out at the rain that still fell lightly outside, trying to prepare herself for what was to come.

Knowing it wasn't fair to leave her mother downstairs worrying about her, Christine walked towards her door and moved out into the hallway, and slowly made her way downstairs.

Her mother stood up and walked over to her from where she had been seated on the couch, handing Christine a steaming mug of hot chocolate as she did so.

Christine accepted the mug but didn't take a drink, staring at a spot on the floor behind her mother.

"I've spoken to your father and grandpa, they are on their way back here." Brennan said, trying to catch her daughter's gaze. Christine merely nodded, still unable to look at her mother.

Brennan tried again. "Where did you go? Did Michael find you?"

"Yeah, he did," Christine replied, her eyes still focussed on the imaginary spot on the ground. "I went to see grandma's grave, I'm not sure why. I guess I just went there to think."

Brennan nodded. "Did it help you?"

Christine shook her head. "Not really, no, but Michael helped, though."

"I'm glad." Brennan smiled slightly, very grateful that someone had been there for her daughter.

"Christine," Brennan said, placing her hand under Christine's chin and raising her head, "please look at me."

Reluctantly, Christine met her mother's gaze, what she saw there made her instantly regret running out as she had. Her mother had obviously been terribly worried about her, there was evidence of tears on her face, and her eyes were filled with love and concern.

"I understand that you are hurt and angry, and that you must have a lot of questions and things that you need to express. However, before we discuss what you have learned today any further, there is something that I wish to show you."

Mildly curious, and feeling that this was the least she could do after causing her mother pain, Christine nodded and followed Brennan into the living area. She glanced in the direction of the television, where she saw what looked like an old video player of some sort, which she had never seen before.

Brennan sat down on the couch, and gestured for Christine to do the same. Placing her mug on the coffee table, Christine sat down and looked at her mother questioningly. Brennan took a deep breath and spoke.

"What I'm about to show you is a video recording left for me by my mother, your grandma, before she died. Your grandpa gave it to me a long time ago. In it my mother explained some things to me, and helped me to understand why she and your grandpa had to leave me behind. I'm hoping that it might do the same for you."

Christine raised her eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing as she watched her mother reach for the remote control, and press the play button.

The image of a woman who looked strikingly like her mother appeared on the screen. She looked to be in her late thirties, perhaps early forties, and was smiling out at them. Christine watched in awe as her grandmother began to speak.

_Hi, Temperance. It's Mom._

_I don't know when, or if, you'll ever see this. I hope to put it in your hands myself, see you again with my own eyes. _

A myriad of emotions began to stir within Christine as she listened to the voice of the grandmother whose grave she had just visited. When she had first learned the truth, anger and grief had consumed her, to the point where she could feel nothing else. Now, watching and listening to her grandma, whose obvious desire to see her daughter again had never been fulfilled, the anger that had hold of her began to loosen its grip. Her grandmother continued.

_But this is a hard hard world. _

_Your father and I left you and Russ to save your lives. People would have killed you to get to us. _

Christine shuddered slightly as she recalled what her grandpa had told her about the hit men who had worked for the crew. It frightened her to think that her family had once been in so much danger. Her grandma went on.

_But that's not what this is about. _

_Today is your sixteenth birthday. I'm so sorry not to be there to tell you all the things that a mother should tell her daughter when she turns sixteen, and sorry not to give you this heirloom from my side of the family. Starting today, it's yours._

As she spoke, her grandmother held up the silver ring that her mother had worn for as long as Christine could remember; the ring that her mother was at that moment twirling unconsciously around her finger, tears forming in her eyes as she listened to her own mother speak.

_You're going to hear a lot of things about your parents, especially about your father. He's a good man. It was my insistence to leave you kids. Max would have kept us together, fought until the end. I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for that._

Christine was shocked at the words she was hearing. Part of what had hurt her so much about her grandpa's confession was the fact that he and her grandma had abandoned her mother and uncle, and she had been so angry with him for that. But now, her grandmother was telling her from beyond the grave that it was she who was to blame, and that her grandpa had never wanted to leave his children. The anger's hold on her lessened still further as she continued to listen.

_So please, Temperance, I need you to forgive me, and if you can't forgive me, I beg you honey, forgive your father, because he is a very good man. _

Tears welled in her eyes as Christine took in these words. It was as if her grandmother was speaking directly to her, begging her to forgive her grandpa for what he had done, and insisting that he was a good man; just as she had always believed up until that morning.

Images of her childhood began to flash through her mind. Her grandpa coming to pick her up after her first day of school, just as he'd promised, his smiling face greeting her at the bottom of the playground. Her grandpa joining the family for Science Sundays, making jokes with her parents and Parker as he enthusiastically explained to her the experiments her mother had set up. Her grandpa consoling her when she lost out on first place at a science fair one year; she was sure he would be disappointed in her, but instead he had hugged her and told her she could try again next year.

The words Michael had said to her that afternoon in the cemetery suddenly reasserted themselves in her mind. _No matter what he's done in the past he's still your grandpa, and he's been there for you your whole life. Doesn't that count for something?_

Yes, Christine decided. It does. She took a deep breath as she listened to her grandmother's last words to her daughter.

_Remember this; you were cherished in this world, adored. What I did to you may have been wrong, but I did it out of love. I did it out of love. _

Tears rolled down Christine's cheeks as she watched the image of her grandmother disappear, to be replaced by a black screen filled with static.

She turned to her mother, whose tears mirrored her own.

Christine opened her mouth to speak, but could find no words to say. There were so many thoughts running through her mind that she didn't think she would ever be able to sort them all out. Her features took on a look of distress and confusion as she struggled against the onslaught of conflicting emotions.

Yes, her grandpa was a good man, but he was also a murderer. Could he be both? Did she still have the right to feel disgust and anger for the things he had done, even though he had been nothing but loving and supportive of her her whole life? Was it okay to feel anger towards her grandma, even though she had been murdered?

As if sensing her daughter's distress, Brennan wiped away her own tears and moved closer to Christine and took her hand.

"Christine," she said gently, "it's alright. Whatever you wish to say, please say it. I promise you that I will not be angry with you."

Her voice shaking, Christine replied. "Oh, Mom, I wish I knew what I wanted to say. I'm just so confused! I don't know what to think or how to feel."

A look of compassionate understanding crossed Brennan's face, as she pulled her daughter into her arms, leaning back and settling Christine against her chest, as if she was a child again who had just awoken from a terrifying nightmare.

"I know you don't, Christine. I felt exactly the same way when I first discovered the truth about my parents. I was angry, and I was confused, and I felt so conflicted. Part of me was very glad to see my father again; having thought for years that he was dead. But there was also a part of me which wanted nothing to do with him, being too angry over what he had done in the past and fearing he would abandon me again."

Christine shifted to look up at her mother. "So how did you get through it? How did you ever forgive him for what he did? He killed people, Mom. I don't know how to deal with that."

Brennan looked away for a moment, gathering herself and taking a deep breath.

"I understand that that was extremely difficult for you to hear, and it is perfectly alright for you to feel anger towards him, or even abhorrence for the things he has done. When I first realised that my father was responsible for the deaths of those men, and discovered the manner in which he had treated their remains, I too felt revulsion and anger. It was actually your father who helped me to see past that."

"How did dad do that?" Christine asked curiously.

"Well," Brennan answered, "he pointed out that my father had only killed those men because they had intended to kill me and your uncle Russ. By taking their lives, he was protecting ours. As your grandma said, he did it out of love."

Christine nodded, her thoughts and feelings finally beginning to make some sense. But she still needed further reassurance.

"Has he done anything since then? I mean, he hasn't killed anyone else, has he?" she asked almost fearfully.

Brennan smiled. "No, Christine, he hasn't. Since he was acquitted of the murder of Deputy Director Kirby, he has, in his own words, walked the straight and narrow."

Christine smiled too, and then crinkled her nose in confusion. "But, how did he get away with it? Wasn't there enough evidence to convict him?"

"Actually, there was," her mother admitted, "however, his lawyer was able to introduce what is known as reasonable doubt, meaning that he posited an alternative scenario that also adequately explained Kirby's murder to the jury."

"What alternative scenario?" Christine asked.

Brennan hesitated slightly before replying. "He conjectured that I could also have committed the murder. I had both the motive and the opportunity. It was enough to cause the jury to doubt the certainty of your grandpa's guilt, and they determined that he was innocent."

Christine's eyes went wide as she sat up abruptly from Brennan's chest. "You?" she said incredulously, "but you could have been sent to prison for something you didn't do! Why would you take that risk?"

Brennan reached for Christine's hand again, grateful when she didn't pull away. "I did it because he was my father, and I didn't want him to go to prison. By that time, I had accepted what your father had said about why he had killed Delaney and Kirby, and I had decided that I wanted him to be in my life. You should know, Christine, that when your father eventually arrested your grandpa for Kirby's murder, he managed to incapacitate your father, and could have escaped had he chosen to."

"Then why didn't he?" Christine asked, somehow sensing the importance of her mother's response.

"Me," Brennan answered with a smile, "he stayed to be with me. He didn't want to abandon me again, and he was willing to risk spending his life in prison just to remain close to me. It was that which finally convinced me to forgive him."

The crushing weight which had been on Christine's shoulders since that morning seemed to lessen slightly, as familiar traits of her grandfather began to reassert themselves in the obvious selflessness and love he had shown for her mother.

"Okay," Christine acknowledged, "I think I understand now how you were able to forgive him for abandoning you and for killing those men, but I still have some questions."

Brennan nodded and squeezed Christine's hand reassuringly. "Of course. You may ask me anything you wish."

Christine smiled gratefully. "I wanted to know why Uncle Russ left. Couldn't he have taken care of you so that you didn't have to go into foster care?"

"He didn't feel able to." Brennan replied sadly. "He was only nineteen years old when our parents left, and social services convinced him that I would be better off in foster care, so he let me go. I didn't see him again until our mother's remains were discovered."

"You didn't see each other for all that time?" Christine said in surprise. "Why didn't he come and visit you?"

"That was my fault." Brennan admitted. "I was so full of hurt and anger at my family that I refused to have any contact with him. He did try though, Christine, I hope that you won't blame him."

Christine thought about her uncle Russ, a man who had always been good to her, and felt that she could understand his actions, given the circumstances.

She nodded, and took a deep breath, preparing herself to ask her mother the most difficult question that had been going through her mind for years.

"Mom, you know that I've been going to karate class with foster kids for years now, and that my friend Sophie's foster dad punched her a few days ago?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Brennan said hesitantly, feeling that she knew where this line of questioning was heading.

Christine continued. "I'm really sorry if this is going to upset you, but I need to know. Did anyone hurt you while you were a foster child?"

Brennan sighed and looked down at their joined hands, her thumb lightly caressing Christine's hand. Finally, she raised her head and looked at her daughter sadly.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Christine. There were times when I was mistreated by the foster parents I was placed with, and my years in the system were the hardest of my life. However, I do not feel it will benefit either of us to go through those experiences with you, as it will only upset us both. However, I would like to reassure you that I was never sexually abused, and that over the years your father has helped me to overcome those painful memories, to the point that they no longer affect me in the way they once did."

A wave of profound love and sympathy washed over Christine, and she leant forward and embraced her mother, who gratefully returned the gesture and pulled her daughter tighter against her.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Mom. But I'm really glad that dad was able to help you."

"Thank you, Christine." Brennan replied, pulling back from her daughter and raising her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Christine's ear. "Your father is a wonderful man, and we are both extremely lucky to have him."

Christine smiled in agreement. "I know we are."

Brennan looked deeply into the blue eyes which mirrored her own so well, and said gently. "I can't tell you to forgive your grandpa, Christine. I have no right to do that. However, I hope that you will. He loves you dearly, and it is hurting him deeply knowing that you are so angry with him. He never wanted to have to hurt you this way, but you deserved to be told the whole truth."

"I understand, Mom," Christine replied, "but I'm still going to need some time."

Brennan was about to reply, when the front door suddenly burst open, revealing a very anxious looking Max and Booth.

"Stapes!" Booth cried and rushed over to his daughter, who stood up from the couch as her father grabbed her in a fierce hug. "God, I was so worried about you." He pulled back and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Christine smiled and nodded. "I'm okay, Dad. I'm really sorry that I ran out like that."

"It's okay," Booth replied, "just as long as you're here."

Booth moved back and went over to embrace his wife, allowing Christine to notice her grandpa hovering nervously by the entrance to the living area.

Taking a deep breath, Christine crossed the room until she was standing directly in front of him. He looked at her, sadness and guilt clearly evident on his face.

"Hi, honey." He said sadly.

"Hey, Grandpa." Christine replied softly.

Seeming to gather his strength, Max spoke determinedly. "I'm so sorry, honey. I'm sorry that I left your mom and Russ, I'm sorry that I got your grandma killed, and I'm sorry for what I've put you through today."

"But you're not sorry for killing those men, are you?" Christine asked, already knowing the answer.

Max sighed. "No, Christine, I'm not. I could lie and say that I regret it, but the truth is, I could never regret any actions I took to protect my family. They would have killed my kids, and I would have done anything to prevent that. And you have to know, I would do the same thing all over again."

Christine looked at her grandfather as she took in his words. She saw the pain in his eyes, the fear that she would reject him, that she would hate him for the rest of her life, that she would never be able to forgive him. And yet, he had still been honest with her, a fact that she had to respect.

Remembering the words of her grandmother and her mother, Christine drew in a deep, steadying breath, and addressed her grandfather.

"What I heard today shocked me, Grandpa. I could never have believed that you were capable of the things you've done, least of all murder. That's not the actions of the man I've known for fifteen years."

Max looked at the ground dejectedly, sure that his granddaughter was about to shut him out of her life for good. Behind Christine, Booth and Brennan held their breaths.

"However," Christine said, "I do understand why you did those things, and I know that I probably wouldn't be here today if you hadn't protected mom."

A hopeful smile crossed Max's face, but Christine wasn't finished, and his smile faltered slightly with her next words.

"But that doesn't mean that I'm not still angry, although not as much as I was before. To be honest, Grandpa, I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to look at you the same way again. However, no matter what you've done in the past, I can't deny that you've been an amazing grandpa to me my whole life, and I still love you even knowing what I know now. It took mom time to be able to forgive you and trust you again, so I'm going to ask you to give me that same time. Eventually, I think I can get past this."

Relief mixed with love and gratitude washed over Max's face. "Of course, honey, whatever you need. I know that your forgiveness would be more than I deserve. I was so grateful when your mom let me back into her life, and I hope more than anything that I can still be a part of yours."

Christine nodded, accepting his words.

Max stepped forward slightly, and asked cautiously. "Would it be too much to ask you for a hug right now?"

Christine hesitated for a moment, but then gave her grandfather a small smile, and allowed him to pull her into his arms. Booth and Brennan both sighed with relief, Booth's arm firmly wrapping itself around his wife's waist. Max held on to his granddaughter for only a few moments, not wishing to push his luck.

When Christine stepped back, she said softly. "I'm really sorry about Grandma. I wish I could have known her."

Max's eyes became misty as he replied. "I wish you could have known her, too. She would have been so proud of you."

Smiling again, Christine nodded and turned back to look at her parents. Booth and Brennan stepped forward and each took one of her hands. Booth leant over and kissed her lightly on the forehead, while Brennan smiled proudly at her daughter.

The family stood together quietly for a few moments, just absorbing the events of the day. Finally, Brennan spoke.

"It's almost dinner time. I think perhaps it would be nice if we all sat down and ate together. Would that be alright, Christine?"

Christine nodded and smiled. "Sure, Mom. I'm actually pretty hungry."

Max chimed in. "Me too, I'm famished. How about your famous Mac 'n' Cheese, Tempe?"

"Yeah!" Booth said, playfully nudging his daughter. "How about that, huh, Stapes? Sound good?"

Christine rolled her eyes at her father and smiled. "Yeah, Dad, that sounds good."

)()()()()()()()()(

Two days later, Christine was seated outside on the porch, enjoying the fresh air and the quiet time to herself. Her parents were at work, and she was glad of the solitude. The last few days had been exhausting and emotionally draining, and she still had a lot to process about everything she had learned about her family.

Footsteps echoing on the sidewalk concrete pulled her from her reverie, and she smiled when she caught sight of their owner.

"Hey, Chris." Michael said, smiling back and coming over to sit beside her on the porch steps.

"Hey." Christine replied.

The smile faded from Michael's face and he looked at the ground for a moment, before turning to look at Christine.

"I wanted to come by and see how you were doing, you know, after everything."

Christine sighed. "I'm okay, I guess. It's gonna take me some time to figure everything out, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the things that my grandpa did, but, you were right with what you said. No matter what he's done in the past, he's still my grandpa, and he has been there for me my whole life, and I know that he loves me, and I love him. I think that one day I will be able to get past this."

Michael smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that, Chris."

Christine smiled back and joked. "I guess I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I have a very weird family!"

"Hey," Michael grinned, "my middle name is Staccato, which was given to me by my crazy rockstar grandfather who got my dad drunk on tequila and had his own face tattooed on dad's shoulder. You do not get to have the monopoly on weird families here!"

Christine laughed. "I guess not, Staccato!"

A mock frown appeared on Michael's face, before he broke into laughter, too.

A more sombre expression crossed Christine's face as she took Michael's hand. "I want to thank you for what you did for me in the cemetery. I don't know how I would have found the strength to go back home and face my family if it hadn't been for you."

Michael's cheeks flushed red and he looked away from her, clearing his throat and stuttering slightly in reply. "Hey, uh, Chris, you don't need to thank me. You're my best friend, and I know you would have done the same for me."

"Yes," Christine said sincerely, "I would have."

The honest emotion in her voice pulled his gaze back to her face. She smiled at him and he felt a fluttering in his chest, causing his cheeks to redden further.

Mistaking his discomfort for embarrassment at her display of emotion, Christine withdrew her hand and changed the subject. "Anyway, I feel like I've done enough thinking out here for today. Do you fancy heading into town with me? I was considering going to the mall."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Michael grinned. "Sure, on one condition."

"What would that be?" she asked.

"You don't try and ask my opinion about clothes or shoes or purses, or any of that other girl stuff."

Christine chuckled. "I wouldn't dare."

Michael grinned. "Good. Then let's go."

They stood up and began the short walk down the street to the bus stop. Christine smiled to herself, so grateful to have her best friend by her side.

**Thank you for reading this chapter and sticking with Christine through this difficult journey, (and for getting to the end of this mammoth chapter!) The rest of the chapters will get us back on the humorous road again. I can't promise that there won't be some teenage angst/drama along the way too, but certainly nothing as heavy going as this. **

**In case anyone was wondering, the text of the video left by Brennan's mother is taken directly from the last episode of Season 2, entitled 'Stargazer in a Puddle.' The back story I gave Max explaining how he got into crime is completely fictional as far as I know. I'm really nervous about the reaction to this chapter, both because of how long it is and how emotional and angsty it is, and I feel I put a lot of myself into it, so I would really appreciate your feedback to let me know what you thought. Thank you. **

***I've got a busy week ahead of me, but I'll post chapter six as soon as I can. **


	6. Traditions

**I was delighted with the responses to the last chapter, thank you so much to those of who left reviews. **

**I'm sorry that it's taken me a while to update this series. I've not been able to write much this week due to a bad reaction to my latest round of medication from the hospital, but I'm back on my feet now and happily continuing Christine's story. **

**This next chapter sees Christine and the gang celebrating her sixteenth birthday. I really hope you enjoy it and reviews would be very much appreciated. Thank you. **

Christine Booth opened her eyes and squinted in the morning light. She stretched her arms above her head and smiled – she was now sixteen years old.

Throwing back the covers and swinging her legs out of the bed, Christine threw on her bathrobe and slippers and made her way down the stairs.

"Hey, birthday girl!" Her father greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Christine." Her mother put down her mug of coffee and stood to embrace her daughter.

Christine smiled at her parents. "Thank you."

Booth went back to fixing what appeared to be a substantial breakfast for his daughter.

"Are you ready for your birthday breakfast then, Stapes?" He asked, as he poured a liberal helping of maple syrup over a large stack of banana pancakes. "I made your favorite."

"Looks great, Dad!" Christine replied enthusiastically, taking a seat by the kitchen counter.

"Oh, and," Booth added whilst placing a small dish down next to her pancakes, "just for old times' sake."

Christine raised her eyebrows questioningly and looked at her father with a hesitant smile on her face.

"Jellybeans for breakfast, Dad? I'm sixteen now, remember?"

Brennan spoke up. "I did mention to your father that you appear to have outgrown your unhealthy obsession with jellybeans, and that, since they lack any nutritional value, they were an unsuitable breakfast accompaniment."

"Oh, come on, Bones!" Booth exclaimed. "It's her birthday! Sugar for breakfast is definitely allowed."

"But, Dad," Christine said, a little confused by her father's insistence, "mom's right, I don't really eat jellybeans anymore."

Booth looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess I knew that. It's just … I always thought you were so cute when you'd get all excited when I'd bring you home a bag of them as a treat. But, I guess that was a long time ago now, huh?"

Christine smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it was, but it was still a really sweet thought, Dad, thanks."

"I believe that your father is struggling with the concept of you turning sixteen, Christine." Brennan said as she moved around the kitchen counter to place her now empty mug in the sink.

Booth turned to his wife and asked incredulously. "Well, aren't you? This is our little girl here! Now look at her. Pretty soon she'll be taking her SATs and deciding what college she wants to go to and …"

"Driving a car?" Christine chimed in hopefully.

"Don't push it." Booth replied, pointing a finger at her. "It was stressful enough teaching you to ride a bike!"

Christine rolled her eyes and went back to her pancakes.

Brennan looked at her husband. "While I admit that the thought of Christine undertaking the challenges that fledging adulthood will bring does cause me some apprehension, I am confident that she will meet those challenges successfully."

"Thanks, Mom!" Christine grinned.

"Of course she will." Booth agreed. "I only meant that … oh, you know what, forget it, it's stupid."

Christine put down her fork and got down from her stool, walking up to her father and smiling at him.

"It's okay, Dad. I get it. I think it's kinda sweet you not wanting me to grow up and head off to college. But, you're gonna have to get used to it. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Booth sighed as his face took on a dejected expression. "Yeah, I know."

Christine smiled and took his hand. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll eat the jellybeans."

Booth pulled her in for a hug and grinned. "Thanks, Stapes."

Brennan smiled at the touching scene in front of her, proud of her daughter for humoring her very sentimental father.

"Christine," Brennan said, "if you would like to finish your breakfast, I have a gift I would like to give you."

"Now?" Christine asked, surprised. "I thought we were saving all my presents for the meal tonight?"

That evening, the three of them would be joined for her birthday dinner by Max, Parker, Hodgins, Angela and Michael. Unfortunately, neither Jared or Russ and their families were able to make it, but would be visiting Christine later in the week instead.

"Yes," Brennan replied, "however this one is special, and I wish to give it to you in private rather than in front of our guests tonight."

Christine nodded, more than a little curious. "Okay, sure."

She got back up on her stool and proceeded to finish her pancakes, and her jellybeans, in record time.

Once she was done, Booth took her plate and Christine turned to her mother expectantly. Brennan rose from her seat and moved to open one of the kitchen drawers, from which she pulled out a small gift wrapped box.

Christine smiled excitedly as Brennan handed her the gift.

"Here you go, I hope you like it."

Booth moved over to stand next to his wife, slipping his arm around her and kissing her gently on the cheek, as they watched Christine open her present.

Pulling back the paper and catching sight of its contents, Christine gasped as comprehension dawned on her, realizing with a rush of emotion what this special gift was.

Opening the small jeweler's box, Christine's eyes filled with tears as she clasped her hand over her mouth, her suspicions having been confirmed.

Inside was a simple, but beautiful, silver ring - a ring which Christine instantly recognized.

Flicking her eyes to her mother's right hand, she realized for the first time that morning that it was bare; its usual adornment now settled in the box she held in her hands.

"Your ring?" Christine whispered, looking tearfully at her mother.

"Your ring." Brennan replied emphatically, tears forming in her own eyes as she moved away from Booth to stand next to her daughter. "You are sixteen years old now, Christine. According to the traditions of my mother's family, as of today, this ring belongs to you."

Christine smiled, recalling the words of her grandmother on the video recording she had left for her mother before she died. Christine also felt a twinge of sadness as she recalled the day she had first watched that video, and exchanged an understanding look with her mother, both remembering the pain and heartache of that day.

Recovering herself, Christine gently plucked the ring from its cushion and slipped it almost reverently onto the ring finger of her right hand, mirroring its previous placement when it had been worn by her mother.

Booth walked up to the pair and slipped his arm around Christine's shoulders.

"Looks good on you, Stapes."

Christine leant further into her father's chest and smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Brennan wiped away the few tears which had escaped down her cheeks and took her daughter's hand.

"When you were born, I made a promise to myself. That no matter what happened, I would be here to see your sixteenth birthday. My worst fear has always been that something might happen to me that would cause me to have to leave you, and for you to have to grow up without a mother, just as I did. My mother never saw me turn sixteen, something we both know she deeply regretted."

Christine nodded tearfully, again recalling the video recording.

"But I am here, Christine." Brennan continued vehemently, "And I promise you, I will do everything within my power to ensure that I will always be here for you. I love you more than anything in this world, and for all the accolades I have received, all the murders I have solved and the global recognition I have attained, you are by far my single greatest achievement."

A wave of overwhelming love for her mother almost took Christine's breath away, as she launched herself from her seat and into Brennan's arms. Booth smiled and stood by silently, understanding the significance of this moment between mother and daughter.

Brennan embraced her daughter tightly and stroked her hair, while Christine lay her head against her mother's shoulder.

"I love you, too, Mom."

They remained like that for several moments, before drawing apart and smiling at each other.

"Hey," Booth said jokingly, "isn't anyone going to give me a hug? I love you both, too, you know!"

Brennan and Christine laughed as they each put one arm around Booth's waist and the other on his chest.

"Feel better now, Dad?" Christine asked.

"I sure do," Booth replied happily, "now that I've got my girls."

Christine chuckled as Brennan smiled and leant up to give Booth a brief kiss.

"Now," Booth said, releasing them both, "how's about we get started on the food for tonight? We've got a lot of preparations to do before everyone gets here."

"Good idea, Booth." Brennan agreed. "Christine, why don't you go and get showered and dressed, and then you can come down and help us."

Christine nodded, "Okay, I'll be back down soon."

Smiling brightly at her parents, Christine grabbed the ring box from the counter and made her way upstairs.

Booth turned to his wife and took her hand in his. "That was beautiful what you said to Christine, Bones. I doubt she'll ever forget it."

Brennan nodded. "Thank you. It was very important to me that she understand how much she means to me, especially today."

Booth smiled and let go of Brennan's hand, moving away from her to reach behind a pile of cookery books which were stacked on one of the kitchen shelves.

Pulling out a small box, he handed it to Brennan.

"What's this?" Brennan asked. "It isn't my birthday."

Booth chuckled. "I know that, Bones. This is a special present."

Brennan's keen intellect did not miss Booth's use of the same wording she herself had used when referring to Christine's gift.

Her interest piqued, Brennan opened the box.

She gasped in surprise when she glimpsed what was inside.

"Booth," she breathed, "this is absolutely gorgeous."

Brennan pulled out a stunning silver ring. It held a sparkling sapphire at its center, which was surrounded on either side by two dolphins that formed a ring around the stone.

"I thought you might miss having a ring on that finger after wearing your mom's for all these years."

Taking the ring gently from between her fingertips, Booth slipped it onto the finger which had formally held her mother's ring.

Brennan smiled lovingly at her husband. "This is incredibly thoughtful of you, Booth. I love it, thank you."

Booth returned her smile. "Aside from the fact that you love dolphins, I chose this ring because I thought that maybe the dolphins could represent us, and the sapphire could represent Christine. The dolphins are wrapped around the sapphire, so it's like we're protecting her. Plus, it matches her eyes – and yours."

"Oh, Booth." Brennan murmured, as she reached up to pull his head down and take his mouth in a passionate kiss.

"I love you, Booth." Brennan whispered as they parted, her forehead resting against his.

"I love you too, Bones." He whispered back.

)()()()()()()()()(

Later that evening, Brennan and Christine were putting the final touches to the table settings for the meal.

"You guys about done in here?" Booth asked as he entered the room. "Everyone should start arriving soon, and it occurred to me that we haven't given Christine her present from us yet."

"Oh, of course!" Brennan exclaimed.

"Another present?" Christine asked excitedly.

Brennan turned to Christine. "Well, the ring was technically a gift from me," she explained, "so your father and I are also giving you a gift from the both of us."

"I've put it out on the couch," Booth said, "why don't we go on through?"

"Awesome!" Christine cried, running past her parents to get to the living area.

Booth and Brennan exchanged amused glances, she was definitely a teenager alright.

Reaching the living area only a few moments behind Christine, the couple found her sitting on the couch next to her gift with an enthusiastic expression on her face.

It was a large white rectangular box wrapped in patterned cellophane and tied with a large red bow.

Looking at her parents briefly, who nodded in confirmation, Christine all but tore off the bow and cellophane to get to the box underneath. Lifting the lid, she let out a shriek of excitement when she saw what it contained.

"Oh my God, you didn't?" she exclaimed.

"We did." Brennan replied, as she and Booth smiled widely at their daughter's obvious pleasure.

Christine reached into the box and held up her present to get a better look at it.

It was a dress, or rather, from Christine's perspective, it was THE dress.

As Christine had gotten older, she had naturally become more aware of her appearance and how she might be perceived by others, particularly her peers at school. Despite this growing interest however, Christine had never been one to be obsessed with her looks. She didn't care if the clothes she wore weren't in style at the time, or if her earrings didn't perfectly complement her necklace. There was no doubt that she was developing into an attractive young woman, however, Christine was still more likely to spend her allowance on books and science equipment than she was on make-up or clothes. That is, until she saw THE dress.

She had seen it in a store window several months previously, while she had been hanging out in the mall with Michael. At first, Michael had been amused by her uncharacteristic enthusiasm over an item of clothing, but had quickly grown tired of listening to her go on about how perfect it was, and had eventually managed to drag her away for some food instead, but only by promising to pay for her share.

Not to be deterred, Christine had returned to the store with her mother two days later. Not having nearly enough money to buy the dress herself, Christine had begged her mother (and later her father) to buy it for her. However, no matter what she said or did, her parents had refused to give in, claiming that the garment was too expensive for someone her age.

Or at least, that's what they had told her.

Unbeknownst to her, Brennan had discussed the issue with Booth that same day, and they had decided that Christine deserved the dress for her birthday. They determined that she didn't ask for much, and that she had been through a very difficult time only a few months ago, when she had found out the horrifying truth of her family's history. Intending to throw her off the scent, they had persisted in deflecting her pleas for them to buy her the dress.

Christine grinned widely as she stood up to hold the dress against her body.

It was a halter neck, floor length, bright azure blue satin dress, which was pulled in at the waist, and detailed with silver rhinestones across the torso. A layer of netting underneath pushed out the material to give the appearance of a ball gown.

"You're gonna look gorgeous in that, Stapes." Booth looked lovingly at his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad." Christine smiled and twirled around excitedly. For a moment, Booth saw the little girl she used to be, and felt a lump form in his throat.

Christine carefully placed the dress back into the box and turned to face her parents.

"What made you change your mind? I thought you told me it was too expensive?"

"Well," Brennan replied, "after some discussion with your father, we both decided that you were deserving of this dress. You are a kind, generous and thoughtful person who rarely asks for anything such as this, your grades are excellent, and we are both very proud of you. I'm sure you will find occasion to wear it in the near future."

"Oh yeah," Christine said enthusiastically, "this will be my prom dress. Definitely!"

The sound of the front door bell caught their attention.

"That'll be your first birthday guest, Stapes." Booth said.

Brennan moved to close the dress box. "Christine, why don't you go and get the door. I will hang the dress in your closet for you. Booth, will you please check on the food?"

"Will do." Booth replied as he headed towards the kitchen.

"Okay, thanks Mom." Skipping happily along the hallway, Christine reached the door and opened it to welcome her guest.

"Happy sixteenth, sweetheart."

Christine smiled and accepted her grandfather's hug. "Thanks, Grandpa."

Max stepped into the house while Christine closed the door. It had been several months since she had learned the truth about her grandfather's past, and their relationship had certainly improved since that day. However, Max was still aware of the need to let his granddaughter set the pace when it came to the time they spent together. He had been delighted when she had called and invited him to her birthday dinner herself, rather than asking her mother to do it.

Holding out a large neatly wrapped box, Max smiled. "Here you go, honey. I hope you like it."

Christine returned his smile and accepted the gift. As her hands moved to grip the sides of the box, Max's gaze was drawn to her right hand.

"Your grandmother's ring." He observed wistfully. "I was hoping that your mom would give it to you today. I'm really happy to see you wearing it, sweetheart. Your grandma would have been so pleased knowing that it's still being passed down the generations."

Christine blushed slightly and looked away for a moment, as the heartache of her grandmother's death and the events surrounding it reared ugly between them again.

Understanding her discomfort, Max looked at the ring one final time, nodded, and then changed the subject.

"So, are you opening gifts now or are you waiting till after dinner?"

Grateful that her grandpa was letting the matter go, Christine smiled and readjusted her grip on the gift.

"Well I already opened my present from mom and dad, but I think I'll be saving the others until after."

Just then, the door bell rang again.

Christine placed Max's gift on the side table and opened the door.

"Happy Birthday, little sis!" Christine laughed as she was pulled into a bear hug by her older brother.

"Hey, Parker! Really glad you could make it."

Parker grinned and ruffled her hair. "Ah, I would never miss my sister's 16th birthday!" He turned and nodded to Max. "Nice to see you, Max."

"You too, Parker." Max replied.

Parker held up a pink gift bag. "Here you go, sis."

"Thank you." Christine said as she accepted the bag. "I'll open it with the others after dinner."

Parker looked around questioningly and asked, "Where's dad and Temperance?"

"Dad's in the kitchen checking on the food," Christine replied, "and mom's upstairs putting my new dress away."

"New dress, huh?" Parker raised his eyebrows. "Will this dress pass the big brother inspection?"

Christine's face registered her confusion. "The big brother inspection?"

"You know, not too short, not too tight, not too low cut …"

Christine laughed. "Do you honestly think that dad would have agreed to buy me a dress that was any of those things?"

Parker chuckled. "Probably not, but I thought I'd ask, just to make sure the old man isn't slipping with his advancing years."

"What's this about an old man?" Booth walked out of the kitchen, having heard the commotion at the door.

"Hey, Dad!"

Parker embraced his father tightly, not having seen him for almost four months. Parker, now a grown man of twenty seven, had followed in his father's footsteps and entered the military. Now stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, his duties didn't often allow him to make it back to see his family.

Releasing his son, Booth turned to Max.

"Glad you could make it, Max."

"Wouldn't have missed this for the world." Max replied whilst smiling at Christine.

"Dad, Parker, I'm glad you're both here." Booth turned to see his wife coming down the stairs.

"Hi, Honey." "Hey, Temperance." Max and Parker greeted Brennan and took turns giving her a hug.

"Okay," Booth spoke up, "Max, Parker, why don't you guys head back into the kitchen with me and we'll get you some drinks."

Parker chuckled and clapped his father on the back. "You just want us to help you with the cooking, huh, Dad?"

Booth grinned and nudged Parker in the side jokingly. "Get on in there!"

Parker and Booth headed into the kitchen, followed by Max.

Brennan smiled and put her arm around her daughter. "Why don't we take your gifts through into the dining room? I'm sure Angela, Hodgins and Michael will be arriving shortly."

Christine nodded and retrieved Max's gift from the side table.

Sure enough, five minutes later, while everyone had gathered in the living area for some pre-dinner drinks, the doorbell sounded again.

"I'll get it!" Christine called out, rushing to the door.

She opened it and was greeted by the smiling faces of her best friend and his parents.

"Happy Birthday, Chris." Michael stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

Drawing back after a moment, Christine smiled. "Thanks, Mike. I'm glad you're here."

Michael held out a small gift wrapped present, blushing slightly. "I got you a little something."

Christine gratefully accepted the gift. Normally, given that the two families were so close, gifts exchanged between them were usually given from the whole family, rather than individually, so Christine was touched that Michael had chosen to give her a gift solely from himself this year.

"Thank you. That's really sweet of you."

The blush on Michael's cheeks became more pronounced as he looked at the floor for a moment. Christine was about to ask if something was wrong, when Angela spoke up from behind Michael.

"Eh, do Hodgins and I get to come in too, or are we just going to stand out on the doorstep all night?"

Michael shook himself mentally and stepped aside. "Sorry, Mom."

Angela grinned and hugged Christine. "Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I can't believe you're sixteen already!"

Christine smiled and took the rather large gift which Angela held out to her.

Hodgins stepped in and gave Christine a corresponding embrace, also wishing her happy birthday.

Christine then led the small group through into the living area, where they were welcomed by the rest of the dinner party.

)()()()()()()()()(

Several hours later, after everyone had eaten and was sat contentedly around the dining room table, it was time for the gifts.

Booth stood up and walked over to the neat pile in the corner.

"Which one would you like first, Christine?"

"Eh, I think I'll just take them in the order they came in, Dad." Christine answered.

Brennan smiled approvingly. "That's very logical, Christine."

Everyone around the table chuckled as Christine replied. "Yeah, that's what I was going for, Mom."

Booth smiled and handed his daughter Max's gift.

Christine took the parcel and tore into it eagerly, grinning widely when she saw what was depicted on the box.

"Grandpa, this is fantastic!"

Max smiled. "I thought it would help you with your school science work, or you can use it just for fun."

Christine pushed the paper aside and opened the box, pulling out a microscope.

"It's a good model," Max continued, "and it has halogen illumination and a camera connection you can hook up to your computer."

"Thanks, Grandpa!" Christine said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to try this out!"

Max hesitated for a moment before adding. "If you ever need a lab partner, you know where to find me."

Christine nodded and smiled, knowing that, only a few months ago, Max wouldn't have hesitated before asking her something like that. It was another reminder that things were no longer the same between them, but she was determined to work through that.

"Sure, Grandpa. That would be nice."

Max grinned as Booth and Brennan exchanged smiles across the table, both very happy to see the interaction between the two.

"Okay," Parker spoke up, "mine next!"

Booth handed Christine her brother's present.

Christine pulled open the fastening that held the gift bag closed, and reached in to pull out its contents.

It was a beautifully embroidered Bohemian style purse, detailed with flowers and patchwork colors.

Christine smiled gratefully at her brother.

"Thanks, Parker. I love it! Did you pick this out yourself?"

Parker chuckled and shook his head. "Are you kidding? Kirsten had to come with me to the store. I'm clueless when it comes to all that stuff!"

Kirsten was Parker's long-term girlfriend back in North Carolina. She had called Christine several weeks previously to say she was sorry that she wouldn't be able to make it to her birthday dinner that weekend, due to work commitments out of state.

Christine laughed. "Ha! Well I'm glad I'm not her when Valentine's Day rolls around. Or do you just ask Rebecca to get you something for Kirsten?"

Parker turned in his seat next to Christine and prodded his sister good-naturedly. "Hey! There's a difference between getting a gift for my girlfriend and a gift for my little sister you know!"

Enjoying teasing him, Christine shot back. "Why? Coz I won't be satisfied with just flowers and chocolates?"

Parker looked at his father imploringly. "Dad, a little help here?"

Booth chuckled. "Sorry, son, you're on your own with that one!"

Everyone around the table chuckled as Parker rolled his eyes.

Once the table had quietened down, Booth held up the two remaining presents.

"Which one next, Christine?"

Wishing to save Michael's surprise gift until last, Christine chose the gift from Angela and Hodgins.

The gift was too large to be passed across the table, so Booth walked around to where Christine was sitting and handed it to her.

Pulling back the paper, Christine gasped at what was revealed.

"Wow, Angela, this is amazing! Thank you so much!"

It was a portrait of Christine and her parents, beautifully painted by Angela herself.

Angela smiled. "I wanted to give you something to mark this special birthday, and to remind you how much our family loves your family."

Brennan smiled appreciatively at her best friend. "It's wonderful, Ange."

"Yeah, great job, Angela." Booth added, then turning his attention to Hodgins, he asked jokingly. "And what was your contribution to this masterpiece, Hodgins?"

A mock affronted look appeared on Hodgins' face as he replied. "I'll have you know that I kept the artist well supplied with food and beverages throughout the process, gave her massages when her back hurt from sitting too long, gave her …"

Booth held up his hand. "Let's just stop at the massages there, Hodgins!"

Chuckles sounded from around the table as Angela patted her husband's knee affectionately.

Christine smiled at Hodgins. "Thank you for what you did too, Hodgins."

"See!" Hodgins exclaimed triumphantly. "At least someone appreciates all my hard work!"

More laughter echoed in the room as Booth reached for the final gift and handed it to Christine.

"Last one, Stapes."

Michael shuffled nervously in his seat as Christine carefully unwrapped his gift.

"Oh, Mike," Christine spoke gently, "thank you, this is beautiful."

Christine held up the gift for the others to see. It was a bracelet with sets of two Chinese symbols separated by amethysts. The symbols were silver set against a black circular background with a silver outline, while the amethysts were also circular and outlined in silver.

Blushing, Michael explained the meaning behind it.

"You know how I told you a while back that I was looking into Chinese culture, since mom is half Chinese?"

Christine nodded.

"Well, these two symbols together translate as 'best friend', so I thought it was the perfect gift for you."

Christine turned to Michael and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Thank you so much, Mike. This is really thoughtful of you."

Pulling back from her, Michael smiled shyly. "I'm really glad you like it."

Unnoticed by the two teenagers, knowing smiles were being exchanged between the adults at the table. It seemed as though it was obvious to everyone except for Christine herself, that Michael thought of her as much more than just his best friend.

Brennan looked across at Angela and her smile widened. Having made the transition from friends to lovers herself with Booth, she knew that the path was not always a simple one, and that it might take her daughter some time to realize what was happening right before her eyes. She was only sixteen after all, and love could confound even the most experienced of hearts.

Wishing to spare Michael any further embarrassment, Brennan held up her glass and cleared her throat.

"A toast, please, to my wonderful daughter. Happy birthday, Christine, may this year bring you joy and happiness, and a wealth of new discoveries to excite your imagination."

A chorus of "To Christines" and the clinking of glasses could be heard around the table.

Christine smiled gratefully, ready to begin the journey into her sixteenth year.

**I hope you all enjoyed Christine's birthday celebrations. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can. Reviews really make my day, so please let me know your thoughts. Thank you. **


	7. Don't Call Me Stapes!

**I hope that you're all enjoying Christine's story so far. In this chapter, Christine is stressing out about her SATs, so Booth and Brennan step in to help take her mind off things in their own unique way. I'd like to say a huge thank you to mendenbar for all her help with explaining the SATs and the US educational system to me. I'm from Scotland and ours is completely different, so I'm very grateful to her for clearing things up for me. **

**I'm more than a little traumatized by the season finale, so I'm going to stay firmly in my land of make believe where the Brennan/Booth family is all safe and happy. Join me here, won't you? **

**Please leave a review with your thoughts and comments, I'll always reply to you if possible. Thank you. **

Seventeen-year-old Christine Booth sighed and slumped back in her desk chair, throwing aside her pen in frustration. She had been reading the same passage in her textbook for the past ten minutes, and was getting more and more frustrated with her attempts to study. Her SATs were less than a month away, and she was feeling more stressed and anxious with each passing day. She had been studying with Michael recently, but he was on vacation with his family that weekend, so she was alone with her studies that day.

While she certainly felt no undue pressure from her parents to perform well on the test, Christine had high expectations of herself and was determined to excel – being the child of a genius will do that to you. Being academically gifted as she was and born into a family with significant financial resources, Christine's future options were virtually limitless. Her plan was to take her SATs and then determine which Ivy League school courses she wished to apply to. The prospect of studying at any of these prestigious universities was very exciting to Christine; however, she couldn't shake the anxiety and nervousness she was feeling.

Deciding that she needed to take a break, Christine pushed back from her desk and stood up, grabbing her empty glass as she did so. She slumped down the stairs, carelessly kicking the wall as she reached the bottom. Walking into the kitchen, she noticed both her parents were seated at the table. Her mother was doing a crossword, while her father was skimming through the sports section of the newspaper. They both looked up and smiled when they saw her.

"Hey, Stapes. How's the studying going?" Booth asked.

"Fine." Christine replied despondently, as she yanked open one of the cupboard doors in search of a snack.

Brennan looked concerned. "Just fine? If there's anything I can help you with -"

"It's fine, Mom." Christine cut her off, slamming the cupboard door in frustration at having found nothing interesting to eat.

Booth and Brennan exchanged worried glances; it wasn't like Christine to act this way. As a teenager, she of course had her moody moments, but academics was normally an area in which she felt calm and confident, and they were unaccustomed to her displaying this level of obvious frustration.

The sound of another cupboard door being slammed was enough for Booth.

"Hey, would you calm down there, Stapes?"

"Don't call me Stapes!" Christine yelled back in annoyance.

Booth cast an amused glance to his wife, who smiled and chuckled slightly.

Christine whirled on her mother. "What's so funny?"

Brennan pushed aside her crossword and explained. "That's what I used to say to your father when he first started calling me Bones. It irritated me and every time he said it I responded with 'don't call me Bones.' We are amused because you sounded just like me there."

Christine was surprised. "But, I thought you loved that nickname? Dad calls you it all the time."

"I do now," Brennan replied, smiling at her husband, "but when we first met I disliked the moniker because I believed it was your father's way of expressing his under appreciation for my work by refusing to respectfully address me as Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah, I was a bit of an ass back then." Booth added somewhat sheepishly. "I believed in old fashioned detective work done by cops, and I didn't think that scientists could be much help at all in a murder investigation beyond your basic forensic stuff."

"But I proved him wrong." Brennan smiled proudly.

Booth grinned in acknowledgement. "You sure did, Bones."

Although mildly amused by her parent's conversation, Christine was still very uptight, and felt the need to get back to her studies until she could make some solid progress.

"Okay, thanks for the history lesson, but I really need to get back to my books."

She turned to head back upstairs, but Booth's voice stopped her.

"Hey, just wait a second."

Christine sighed and rolled her eyes. "What, Dad?"

Booth's gaze was concerned when he looked at his daughter.

"Listen, I'm worried about you, we both are. You're so stressed out right now. I think maybe you need a break. How about we go out into the yard and kick a ball around like we used to when you were a kid?"

"But I'm not a kid anymore, Dad," Christine insisted, "and there isn't a sports section in the SATs."

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, I know that, and if you ask me that's one of the major problems with America today."

At Christine's confused look, Booth continued.

"Take your mom, for example. She knows everything about everything; science, ancient cultures, history, you name it, but she knows practically nothing about sports."

Brennan frowned. "That's not true, Booth. I know that in order to enjoy a sporting event one must make excessive amounts of noise and consume vast amounts of nutritionally deficient foods. Also, that an irrational amount of emphasis and praise is placed upon the performance of individual players to the point where they attain the status of cultural icons."

Booth rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in exasperation. "You see? Nothing!"

Brennan scowled affectionately at him, while Christine shook her head, unwilling to admit that her father's attempts to cheer her up were actually working.

"So," Booth turned back to Christine, "what do you say? Do you wanna come outside? It might help clear your head and help you study."

"Your father's right, Christine." Brennan agreed. "Physical exercise will cause your pituitary gland to secrete endorphins, thereby helping to relieve your stress and increase your level of concentration once you return to studying."

Booth's face split into a wide grin. "Ah ha! An endorsement from your mom about sports. Can't argue with that one, can you?"

Christine sighed in defeat and smiled. "Yeah, alright then."

Booth smiled back and stood to sling his arm around his daughter and pull her into a sideways hug. Brennan smiled warmly as she watched her family wander through the French doors and out into the yard, already ribbing each other about their respective athletic abilities.

)()()()()()()()()(

After kicking the ball around for an hour or so, Booth and Christine lay down on the grass and relaxed in the midday sun.

Booth looked over at his daughter, a frown of concern furrowing his brow. Christine was abnormally quiet, and she hadn't mocked him nearly as much during their game as he would have expected.

"Hey, Stapes, you okay?"

Christine turned to her father. "Not really."

"You want to talk about it?" Booth asked.

Christine looked hesitant for a moment, and Booth smiled reassuringly.

"Okay," Christine began, "I'm not sure why, but lately I've been feeling totally stressed out about my SATs."

Booth nodded. "But, that's understandable isn't it? I'm sure everyone gets stressed out about exams, especially the SATs."

"I guess so," Christine agreed, turning her head to gaze back up at the sky, "but I don't normally feel this bad. I know I'm more than capable of acing them, I just feel like I've hit a wall with studying."

Booth took her hand to draw her attention back to him. "Hey, you know that your mom and I will be proud of you no matter what happens, right? Just because your mom is a genius doesn't mean you have to be the best at everything. You don't need to put so much pressure on yourself."

Christine sighed. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Dad. You guys don't put pressure on me, I put it on myself. I know I can always retake the SATs if I'm not happy with the result, but I really don't want to do that, I want to get it right the first time."

"I get that, Stapes." Booth replied. "Still, there's no shame in retaking them, and we would support you whatever you decided to do."

Christine smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and replied. "Thanks."

Sensing that there was something else going on, Booth pressed ahead.

"Stapes? Is there something else on your mind?"

Christine sighed again. Her father was so easy to talk to, and she had always felt like she could tell him anything. Suddenly, she found herself admitting to what had really been bothering her.

"I was round at Mike's last week, and Angela was there, too. She had been having a clear out and was going through some old boxes, and she found some pictures of Mike and I when we were babies."

Booth smiled fondly. "You were a gorgeous baby, the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen."

Christine chuckled. "Biased much?"

"Yeah," Booth admitted, "it's still true though. So, what about the photos?"

"Well, they got us talking," Christine continued, "and Angela joked that mom had once said to you that she would be selfish if she didn't have children. Like she would be depriving the world of her gifts if she didn't pass them on."

Booth nodded, remembering a time several years before he and Brennan had been a couple, when she had decided that she wanted him to be a sperm donor so she could have a child.

"And that bothered you?" He asked.

"Well …" Christine seemed to struggle to find the right words. She took a deep breath and tried again.

"It's just … it made me wonder. What if I don't do well on the SATs? Or what if I don't get into an Ivy League school? Or what if I don't have a really successful career? Won't that mean that I'll have wasted the gifts that mom's given me?"

Booth was surprised to hear his daughter talking like this, and wanted desperately to reassure her.

"For a start, Stapes, that's a lot of 'ifs', you haven't even applied to college yet. I understand that the SATs are stressful, and I think they're making you feel so pressured that you're getting way too far ahead of yourself. After they're over, I think you'll feel a lot better about everything."

Christine looked only mildly reassured. Booth tried again.

"More to the point, has your mom ever given you any reason to believe that she isn't one hundred percent proud of you? Or that she's disappointed in you in any way?"

Christine didn't even have to think about her answer. "No, never."

"Exactly. Listen to me, Stapes. Your mom was a completely different person when she said that, she and I weren't even together back then. At the time, having a child was simply a rational decision she had made, out of nowhere as far as I could tell, and she wasn't allowing herself to feel any of the things that come with having a child."

Christine nodded, listening intently.

"But she changed over time. When she got pregnant with you, she was so happy. She was really feeling things. She even strapped this ultrasound thing to her stomach with earphones attached to it, so she could listen to your heartbeat while she worked."

"She did?" Christine smiled, touched that her mother would have done something so sentimental.

"And when you were born," Booth's eyes shone with love as he recalled one of the happiest moments of his life, "Stapes, you should have seen her face. She fell in love with you the moment she saw you. We both did. One of the first things she said as she held you for the first time was, 'we're a family.' She said it like she couldn't believe it was really true, that she finally had a family of her own."

Tears had begun to form in Christine's eyes as she listened to her father speak. This was the mother she knew and loved, who had been by her side her whole life. Smiling, Christine felt the nervousness and anxiety she had been feeling begin to disappear. Booth had something more he wanted to say.

"Do you remember what your mom said to you when she gave you her ring on your sixteenth birthday? She said that despite everything she has achieved in her career, she thought of you as her greatest achievement. You mean everything to her, Stapes. No test result or college admission is gonna change that."

Christine nodded tearfully, beginning to feel horribly guilty about doubting her mother for no real reason.

"And hey," Booth nudged her jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood, "if your mom really wanted to give birth to the next Einstein or Newton, she would have hooked up with the smartest guy she could find, but instead she picked me!"

Christine suddenly burst into laughter, a sound that was music to Booth's ears, as he laughed along with her and pulled her into a hug. He knew that Christine was proud of him and didn't care that he wasn't as intelligent as her or her mother, so Booth didn't mind jokingly putting himself down once in a while, if it meant making Christine laugh.

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, Christine." Brennan said as she came out into the yard, drawn by the laughter coming from outside.

"Mom!" Christine smiled happily, jumping to her feet and embracing her mother tightly.

Brennan returned her daughter's hug, looking questioningly at her husband over Christine's shoulder, who simply smiled.

"What's this for?" Brennan asked.

Pulling back, Christine replied. "I know I shouldn't have been, but I've been worried that if I don't do really well on my SATs and get into a great college and have a successful career like you, then you'll feel like I've wasted the gifts you've given me."

Brennan was concerned and a little confused. "What on earth would make you feel that way, Christine? I would never think of anything in your life as a waste. I'm incredibly proud of you."

Booth jumped in to explain. "Angela told her about what you said back when you wanted me to be your sperm donor. They were looking at old baby pictures and she mentioned that you felt that you should have a child so you could pass on your intelligence."

"She didn't mean anything bad by it, Mom." Christine said, seeing the stricken look on Brennan's face. "She was just joking around about how you guys used to be before Mike and I were born. I'm sorry, I've just been so stressed out lately, and it's making my mind go all crazy."

Brennan chuckled and rubbed Christine's arm affectionately. "It's okay, as long as you know that you could never be a disappointment to me."

"I do, Mom. Thank you."

A thoughtful expression crossed Brennan's face. "I have an idea about how to help you study. Will you come back inside with me?"

"Okay, sure." Christine followed her mother into the house.

"Hey!" Booth called out. "What about me?"

Brennan grinned and called back to him over her shoulder. "Oh, you can help too!"

Booth shook his head and chuckled, recognizing the look of enthusiasm on Brennan's face. He had a feeling he knew what she had in mind for Christine. He followed them inside.

"I'll be back in a minute, Christine." Brennan called out as she went upstairs. "Please clear the kitchen table."

As she moved towards the table, Christine noticed the look on Booth's face.

"Do you have any idea what mom's planning here?"

Booth smiled enigmatically. "I might do, but you'll have to wait and see."

A few minutes later, Brennan reappeared carrying a box full of scientific equipment.

Christine raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Mom?"

Brennan grinned and placed the box on the table. "We're going to do some experiments, just like we used to on Science Sundays when you were younger. I believe this will revive your enthusiasm and enjoyment of science, and by extension mathematics, whilst also being educational."

"Sounds good!" Christine said, grinning as she helped her mother unload the box. "Do you want to help us, Dad?"

"Nah," Booth said, taking a seat at the kitchen counter, "I think I'll just watch the experts at work!"

Over the next few hours, Brennan and Christine performed experiments which involved some of the mathematical concepts that would arise in the SATs. Christine took notes and asked questions while Brennan happily answered them and asked questions of her own.

Booth loved watching his family together like this. In many ways, Christine was a lot like him. She loved sports, she had a great sense of humor, she was empathetic and tended to like the same kinds of movies and music that he did. However, it was at times like this when Booth couldn't help but think of Christine as Brennan's daughter.

He watched as matching pairs of bright blue eyes lit up with enthusiasm for their experiments. He listened as they talked about statistics and equations and all manner of things that he didn't understand. He laughed when Christine high-fived her mother when she answered all of Brennan's questions correctly.

For a moment he locked gazes with Brennan, and smiled widely at the look of love and pride in her face at being able to make her daughter happy. Once, there had been a time when Brennan had doubted her abilities as a mother. When she had feared that she wouldn't be able to connect with her child and that her social awkwardness might cause her daughter embarrassment in the future.

Now, looking at them together, Booth felt a rush of love, pride and gratitude for his family. They were certainly a unique little unit, but, in Booth's mind, that made them all the more special.

"Booth?"

Brennan's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, Bones?"

"We could use your help with this last experiment. We need another set of hands."

Booth chuckled. "Are you sure you want a dumb jock helping you out?"

"Aw, don't worry, Dad," Christine laughed, "we science geeks will show you how it's done!"

"All right then!" Booth smiled and jumped down from his stool and walked up to his genius girls. "Where do you want me?"

**Thank you so much for reading. I hope you will leave me a few words to let me know what you thought.**

**I will do my best to post the next chapter a bit quicker this time, although it is a bit of a long one, hopefully not chapter 5 long though! It's time for Michael and Christine to confront the changes in their relationship – but the course of young love never did run smooth … **


	8. Young Love

**Somehow another week has gone by and I haven't posted a new chapter until now – I'm sorry about that. I don't know where the time has gone, and there have been some unavoidable delays to my writing this week. Anyway, on with the story. Things have been building between Christine and Michael for a while now, and it's finally time for them to deal with it. Christine is still seventeen in this chapter. Reviews would be very much appreciated.**

Christine smiled and accepted the hug and chaste kiss from her boyfriend as he greeted her after class. She had been dating Aaron Taylor, whom she had met in her science class in school, for almost three months. He was Christine's first boyfriend, and, although she certainly enjoyed his company, the relationship wasn't exactly the passionate romance she had been hoping for as she approached her eighteenth year.

When Aaron had asked her out after class one afternoon, she had accepted gladly. After all, he was attractive, kind, intelligent and had a good sense of humor, why wouldn't she agree to date him? As the weeks had gone by however, Christine realized that the 'spark' she had always heard about in a successful relationship, and had seen more of than she had cared to at times in her own parents' marriage, was missing from what she had with Aaron.

After giving it some thought, Christine had decided that perhaps the 'spark' took time to develop, and wasn't necessarily there from the beginning of a relationship. Considering that Aaron treated her well and that she enjoyed the time they spent together, Christine decided to continue to date him. It wasn't as if there were any other young men in her life who had expressed an openly romantic interest in her.

That day, Christine was feeling particularly nervous. A few days previously, her parents had asked her if she would like to invite Aaron over for dinner so that they could meet him. Feeling like it was a little too soon for that, Christine had instead opted to bring him home with her after school for a short visit on a day when neither of her parents were working. That way, if her mother said something inappropriate and embarrassing, or her father came across as intimidating and too protective of his little girl, then they would be able to make a quick exit and go into town instead.

"So, is there anything I should know about your folks before I meet them?"

Aaron's question shook Christine from her thoughts. She chuckled a little nervously.

"Well, my dad can be a bit overprotective sometimes, but I guess most dads are when it comes to their daughters, so he should be fine. My mom though …" Christine hesitated before continuing, while Aaron looked at her questioningly. She began again.

"My mom, well, for a start she's really literal, so she doesn't use metaphors or exaggeration all that much. She's also really factual, so when she talks it can sometimes sound like she's reading straight from a textbook."

"Okaaay." Aaron smiled, "she sounds like an interesting woman!"

Christine chuckled again. "That's certainly one word for her! She's a really awesome mom though, and I think you'll like her."

_At least I hope you will. _She thought anxiously.

"I'm sure I will." Aaron agreed, putting his arm around her. "Shall we get going then?"

Pushing aside her anxiety, Christine smiled and nodded, allowing him to guide her towards the school's exit.

"Oh," Christine stopped suddenly, "there's one more thing I should mention about my parents. My mom calls my dad by his last name, and my dad calls my mom 'Bones', and me 'Stapes'."

"Bones and Stapes?" Aaron looked incredulous.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Christine replied, "I'll explain on the way!"

)()()()()()()()()()(

Less than an hour later, Christine and Aaron arrived at her home. Entering the house, they walked through into the living area, where they found Booth and Brennan seated on the couch. They stood when they caught sight of the teenagers.

Brennan smiled and held out her hand. "You must be Aaron. I'm Christine's mother, Temperance."

"Pleased to meet you." Aaron said politely, accepting Brennan's handshake.

Brennan turned and gestured towards Booth. "This is my husband and Christine's father, Seeley."

"Hey, Aaron." Booth said and stepped forward to shake the young man's hand. Christine rolled her eyes and glared at her father when she noticed Aaron flinch slightly at the strength of Booth's grip.

_Here we go. _Christine thought, annoyed at what she perceived to be Booth in overprotective mode._ And he promised that he wouldn't be like this._

Booth simply grinned and released him, completely unperturbed by his daughter's stare. As far as Booth was concerned, it was his job as Christine's father to size up her dates, and he wasn't about to apologize for it.

"Pleased to meet you, sir. Thank you for inviting me into your home." Aaron replied after a moment's hesitation.

_Kiss ass. _Booth thought to himself.

After a moment's awkward silence, Booth spoke.

"Aaron, what do you say we head into the kitchen to get some drinks for us and the girls? It'll give us a chance to have a little chat."

Aaron looked nervous while Christine glared again at her father.

"Dad …" She said in a warning tone.

"Sure thing, Mr. Booth." Aaron replied, not wanting to cause a scene.

He smiled at Christine and followed Booth into the kitchen.

Christine sighed, having a fairly good idea what that 'little chat' was going to involve.

In the kitchen, Booth started the kettle boiling and asked Aaron to pass him some mugs.

"So, Aaron, did eh … did Stapes mention what I do for a living?"

Aaron nodded while he laid out four mugs on the counter. "You're in the FBI, right?"

"Right," Booth said, "but I haven't always been. I used to be in the army."

"Yeah?" Aaron turned to Booth with renewed respect. "Were you in law enforcement there too?"

"Nah," Booth replied casually as he handed Aaron a mug now filled with coffee, "I was a sniper with the Rangers."

Aaron gulped and jumped slightly in surprise, causing the liquid in his mug to slosh over onto his fingers and the counter top.

"Oops, looks like you spilt a little there, Aaron." Booth grinned and passed him a cloth. "I'm not making you nervous am I?"

"No, of course not!" Aaron hurried to reassure him whilst mopping up the spilled coffee. "I was just surprised, that's all. I thought Christine might have mentioned it."

Booth was having difficulty keeping a straight face.

"Well, Stapes doesn't like to boast about the fact that she has a dad who could get back at anyone who hurt her." He affixed Aaron with an intense gaze. "You know what I'm saying?"

Aaron gulped again and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Booth smiled. "Good. Now, let's get these drinks through to the girls."

Glad to be finished with that particular conversation, Aaron followed Booth back into the living area.

Christine met Aaron's gaze, who smiled nervously at her. Christine sighed and shot an annoyed glance in her father's direction. It was obvious that Booth had had 'words' with Aaron.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that." Brennan walked out of the room.

Muffled voices could be heard from the doorway as Brennan invited the visitor in.

Christine was surprised when she saw who came around the corner.

"Hey, Mike! What are you doing here?"

Michael walked into the room, hesitating slightly when he caught sight of Aaron, his face taking on a guarded expression.

"I came by to drop off those class notes I borrowed from you when I was off sick last week."

Frowning slightly at the look on Michael's face, Christine walked over to take the notes from him.

"Thanks, Mike. Do you want to stay? I brought Aaron home to meet mom and dad, then we're gonna head to the mall for a while."

"Nice to see you, Michael." Aaron piped up.

"Yeah," Michael replied despondently, "nice."

A look of hurt confusion crossed Christine's face as she took in Michael's less than friendly attitude. Before she could respond, Michael spoke again.

"Listen, I've got to head back home. I'll see you later, Chris."

Michael turned and rapidly walked round the corner and headed for the door. Christine dropped the notes on the sofa and went after him.

Booth and Brennan looked on with concern, while Aaron shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Mike, wait!"

Michael sighed and turned around to face her. "I really have to go, Chris."

"What's going on with you? Why are you acting like this? You were really rude in there."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Michael gritted out in frustration.

Christine was taken aback by the naked anger in his eyes. Michael was her best friend, and she wasn't used to fighting with him, certainly not like this.

"No, I don't get it, Mike. I have no idea why you're acting like such an ass to me and my boyfriend!"

Michael chuckled disdainfully. "Well, I guess that answers that then. I'll leave you and your _boyfriend_ to it."

Christine looked stricken, feeling deeply hurt and confused by Michael's behavior. He had made it out the door and halfway down the drive before Christine shook herself and went out after him.

"I'm not letting this go, Mike! What the hell has gotten into you?"

Michael whirled on her, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You want to know what's going on, do you? How about the fact that I'm sick of having to hang around with that dull, weak ass idiot you've picked for a boyfriend! How about the fact that you started dating some guy you just met in class and didn't even notice the one that's been by your side your whole life!"

Christine's eyes were wide with shock as Michael came within inches of her face.

"How about the fact that I'm completely in love with you, and you're too busy wasting your time with him to even notice!"

Having finally made the confession that he'd been holding in for so long, Michael's shoulders slumped in defeat as he stepped backwards away from her.

Eyes filling with tears, Christine's voice was shaking as she tried to wrap her mind around what she had just heard.

Mike was in love with her? How could she not have known? She thought she knew him so well, she felt like such an idiot.

Before she had the chance to speak, Michael turned to leave.

"Mike …" Christine wanted desperately to stop him, but she had no idea what to say.

"It's fine, Chris, I don't expect you to say anything. I'm just gonna go."

"Mike …" Christine tried again, "I had no idea. I'm so sorry." The words sounded hollow in her ears, but they were all she could offer in that moment.

"Yeah." Michael said dejectedly, before turning and walking down the driveway, his hands in his pockets and his head lowered.

Christine watched him go, feeling as if she had just lost her best friend. She wiped at the tears that had run down her cheeks and took a deep breath.

Somehow, she had to find the strength to go back inside and face her boyfriend and her parents.

A cool breeze rustled the leaves on the lawn, and Christine rubbed her arms to combat the chill she felt. Bracing herself for a very awkward conversation, she turned and headed back into the house.

She walked into the living area and was met by the concerned glances of the three people seated on the couches.

Aaron was the first to speak. "Are you okay, Christine? What was wrong with Michael?"

Christine hesitated, unsure how to answer.

"Stapes, you alright?" Booth walked up to her.

Shaking herself mentally, Christine forced a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Dad."

Moving past him, Christine turned to Aaron. "Do you want to head down to the mall now?"

Aaron frowned. "You're sure? I can go and just see you tomorrow."

"No," Christine said firmly, "I want to go now. I need to talk to you."

Nodding, Aaron followed her to the door. Christine called back over her shoulder to her parents.

"I'll be back later okay?"

"Okay, Stapes." Booth said, reluctantly letting his daughter leave when she was obviously upset.

"See you later, Christine." Brennan looked as concerned as her husband.

The door clicked closed, and Booth and Brennan exchanged worried glances.

)()()()()()()()()()(

The journey to the mall was quiet, with neither Christine nor Aaron feeling much like talking. Christine was absorbed in her own thoughts. She was still struggling to make sense of Michael's confession, and what it would mean for their friendship. She glanced briefly at Aaron walking beside her, a faraway look in his eyes, as if he already knew what was coming. Christine felt very guilty for what she was about to do, but knew that it was the right thing.

Delaying the inevitable, Christine suggested that they get some sodas from the food court. Afterwards, they found an empty bench and sat down.

Christine fiddled with the plastic lid of her cup, unsure how to begin what she knew would be a very awkward conversation. Sensing her hesitation, Aaron spoke first.

"Look, Christine. I know what you're going to say. I'm not sure what's going on between you and Michael, but I know that he's your best friend and you need to figure it out, and you can't do that while you're dating me."

Grateful that he seemed to understand, Christine turned to him.

"I'm so sorry, Aaron. I never saw this coming. You've been so good to me, and I really have enjoyed spending time with you. It's just …"

"There's no spark between us, is there?" Aaron supplied sadly.

Christine shook her head. "No. I guess there isn't."

"Is there one between you and Michael?"

Christine was surprised by the question. Aaron was obviously more perceptive when it came to Michael's feelings than she had been. Again, she felt like a complete idiot.

"I don't know. I honestly had no idea he felt anything for me other than friendship. We grew up together, and we've always been close. I don't know what to think. I'm just really confused right now."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "All the more reason why we should end things here."

Getting to his feet, he turned to Christine. "I'm not gonna say that I'm not disappointed. I am. You're a great girl, and I like you a lot. But I'm obviously not the one for you."

Christine looked up at him. "I'm sorry again, Aaron. Thank you for being so good about this."

Aaron shook his head. "Don't apologize, you're being honest, and it probably would have happened eventually."

"Yeah, I guess it would have." Christine replied solemnly, suddenly realizing that she had a lot to learn about romance.

"I'm gonna leave now, Christine." Aaron said, smiling sadly. "I hope everything works out for you."

As he turned to go, Christine's voice stopped him. "Thanks, Aaron. Really. I'll see you at school."

Aaron nodded. "Yeah, see you there."

Christine watched him walk away, guilt gnawing at her. Aaron really was a good guy, and she felt terrible for hurting him. Pushing aside her soda, she sighed and slumped back against the bench as she realized that she felt so much worse for hurting Michael, albeit unintentionally. She stared absentmindedly as a young couple walked by, hand in hand, laughing together as they perused the shop window displays. Some people made it look so easy, she thought enviously.

)()()()()()()()()()(

Christine walked miserably back into the house an hour later, feeling no better about her situation than she had before. As she had expected, her anxious parents were there waiting for her.

"Christine, are you alright? We've been very concerned." Brennan walked up to her daughter, putting an arm around her and guiding her into the living area.

Dropping down onto the couch, Christine sighed and looked up at her parents.

"It's a long story, and I don't really want to talk about it right now. But I should tell you that Aaron and I broke up."

Brennan opened her mouth to speak, but Booth cut in first.

"Why? Did he upset you? Do I need to threaten him again?"

Christine glared at her father. "No, of course he didn't, Dad. And what do you mean _again_?"

"Booth?" Brennan turned to her husband questioningly.

Booth looked sheepish and hesitated. "Well ... I, uh ..."

"Oh God," Christine said exasperatedly, "you told him you were an army sniper, didn't you?"

"I might have done, yeah." Booth said, chuckling slightly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Brennan smiled and shook her head, not surprised in the least by her husband's behavior.

Christine, however, wasn't so amused. She rolled her eyes and looked away angrily.

"Look, I'm sorry, Stapes, but …,' Booth started to apologize, then changed his mind. "You know what? No. I'm not sorry. I'm your father, and this is what fathers do. I was just letting him know that if he hurt my daughter then there would be … consequences. That's all."

"That's all?" Christine was still annoyed. "Most fathers aren't ex-snipers, Dad! You didn't have to go that far."

"Hey," Booth tried to defend himself, "it's not like I told him how many guys I've killed."

Brennan chuckled and Christine simply rolled her eyes again, not in the mood to argue with her father any further.

In the moments of silence that followed, Booth and Brennan exchanged knowing glances. They had been aware of Michael's feelings for their daughter for quite some time now, and correctly assumed that Christine was now aware of them, too.

Booth cleared his throat. "Well, I've got some paperwork I've been putting off. I should get to it."

He got to his feet. Just before he turned to leave the room, he touched Christine's shoulder gently.

"Stapes, I'm really sorry about you and Aaron. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Sit with your mom for a while. Something tells me she'll be able to help."

Booth smiled at Brennan, who nodded and smiled back.

"Thanks, Dad." Christine said despondently.

Booth patted her shoulder again and left. Brennan turned to her daughter.

"Christine, I understand that you don't feel like talking. However, I believe that your mood will improve if you share your feelings with me. Your father is correct, I can help you."

"How?" Christine didn't exactly sound convinced.

"Michael told you of his feelings for you, didn't he?"

Christine turned to look at her mother, surprise etched on her features.

"How do you know about that? Did you hear us arguing?"

Brennan shook her head. "Not after you went outside, no. But I didn't need to. Michael's feelings have been obvious for a long time now."

"Obvious to everyone but me, it seems." Christine said sadly.

Brennan took Christine's hand gently. "Sometimes we can't see what's right in front of us."

Christine's eyes held a tormented expression. "He's my best friend, Mom. I don't want to lose him. I'm just so confused, and I know I've hurt him. What if he never talks to me again?"

"He will." Brennan said firmly.

"How can you be so sure?" Christine asked.

Brennan's eyes took on a faraway expression for a moment, as if she were remembering something that took place years before.

"You know that your father and I were extremely close friends for years before we became romantically involved?"

Christine nodded.

"Well, there came a time about five years into our partnership, when your father expressed a desire to pursue a romantic relationship with me. Despite my feelings for him, I resisted."

"You did?" Christine was shocked. Her parents were very much in love, and she found it difficult to imagine a time when either of them would have fought those feelings.

"But why? If you loved dad, why wouldn't you want to be with him?"

Brennan smiled patiently, understanding her daughter's confusion.

"It wasn't that simple for me at the time, Christine. Please understand. The life I had led before I met your father taught me that I could not rely on others, and that emotions were ephemeral and could not be trusted. I had never been in love before, and the intensity of those feelings was very frightening to me."

Brennan leant forward, looking into Christine's eyes intently.

"But more than that, I was terrified of losing what I already had with your father. He was a wonderful friend to me. He changed my life in so many ways, and in spite of myself I had come to rely on him. I couldn't risk losing that no matter how I felt."

Christine considered her mother's words. Her friendship with Michael was so important to her, and she could never imagine her life without him forming an integral part of it. Was it possible that her fear of losing that friendship had caused her to overlook Michael's feelings for her, because she didn't want anything to change between them? Brennan continued.

"Christine, I know how much Michael means to you. If you feel nothing for him other than friendship, then you should be honest with him, and I believe that what the two of you have is strong enough to allow you to move past this eventually. However, if there is something more than that between you, then I would advise you not to let the fear of losing Michael's friendship keep you from giving a relationship with him a chance. If the two of you are anything like your father and I, then believe me, the rewards will be more than worth the risk."

Christine smiled. Sometimes, her mother could be fairly obtuse when it came to emotions, and she would have difficulty giving Christine advice. Other times, however, she said exactly what Christine needed to hear.

"Thanks, Mom. You've given me a lot to think about."

Brennan leant forward and hugged her daughter tightly. "Trust yourself, Christine. You'll know what to do."

Pulling back from her mother, Christine smiled again and rose to make her way upstairs to her room. She had some thinking to do.

)()()()()()()()()()(

Walking up to Michael's house the following day, Christine found him sitting outside on the porch swing, his feet mindlessly kicking at the loose stones which were strewn about beneath him.

Hearing her approach, Michael looked up, his expression guarded.

"Hey, Mike." She said gently.

"Hey." Michael said quietly, dropping his gaze back to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Christine walked up to the swing and sat down next to him. She was grateful when he made no move to stop her.

The next few minutes passed in awkward silence. Even though she had rehearsed what she wanted to say what felt like a dozen times since her conversation with her mother, Christine was still struggling to gather her thoughts now that she was actually there. Michael, for his part, was determined to let Christine do the talking. He had never intended to tell her how he felt the last time they had spoken, and he was afraid of what might come out of his mouth this time if he tried to speak.

Finally, Christine sighed and stared out at the trees ahead of her. Suddenly, her practiced speech didn't seem to matter anymore. She wanted to speak from the heart.

"I hate this."

At Michael's lack of response, she continued.

"I've never felt awkward around you. Never. We've always been able to talk about anything, or even just sit in silence in each other's company. Now everything's different, and I'm not sure how to deal with it. But I am sure that Aaron isn't the guy I'm supposed to be with."

This roused Michael's attention. "You're going to break up with him?"

Christine turned to look at him, a gentle smile gracing her features. "I already did."

Michael nodded, attempting to act aloof and unconcerned. But Christine knew him too well, and he couldn't quite hide the glint in his eyes or the slight smile that curved the corners of his mouth at the news.

Seeing an opening, Christine turned fully to face him, her eyes seeking out his.

"Mike, I want you to know, I really didn't realize how you felt about me. I never would have been so open about my relationship with Aaron around you if I had. You have to believe that I would never intentionally hurt you."

Her eyes were pleading with him, and Michael couldn't deny her.

"I know that, I do. I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. I just couldn't handle seeing you with him anymore."

Christine nodded. "How long have you felt this way?"

Michael sighed, reluctant to talk about it, but knowing that he owed her the truth.

"I'm not really sure. I think it started sometime around when you found out about your grandparents' past."

Christine was shocked to say the least. "But that was over two years ago! How could you not have said anything this whole time?"

Michael shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, I guess … Well at first I couldn't because you were still dealing with finding out the truth about your family, and I didn't want to add to your problems. Then, after a while, I just sort of got used to it. You had never given me the impression that you felt the same way, and I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship, so I just never said anything, which was fine, until …"

"Until I started seeing Aaron." Christine finished for him.

"Yeah." Michael replied dejectedly. "Suddenly I couldn't ignore it anymore. I felt jealous all the time, like I was losing you. I tried to be happy for you, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry."

Christine shuffled along the bench a little closer to him. Michael flinched slightly, but didn't attempt to move away.

"Please don't apologize, Mike. I'm the one who should be sorry. You're my best friend and I can't believe that I didn't see it. Maybe I inherited the emotional obtuseness gene from my mom."

Michael chuckled at this. "Yeah, maybe you did a little."

His face taking on a more serious expression, Michael turned to face her, letting his emotions show openly on his face.

"Chris, I can't take back what I said, and I'm not even sure I want to. But I need to know where I stand. If you only see me as your best friend and nothing more, then just say so, and we'll put this behind us. No matter how hard it would be for me, I have no intention of losing our friendship."

Christine sighed in relief and smiled gratefully. She had needed to hear that more than anything. Michael continued.

"But, if there's even just a flicker of something more that you feel for me, then I'm asking you to give this a chance. If it doesn't work out, we'll get through it, but at least then we'll know."

Christine looked away for a moment, recalling her mother's words from the day before.

_I would advise you not to let the fear of losing Michael's friendship keep you from giving a relationship with him a chance. If the two of you are anything like your father and I, then believe me, the rewards will be more than worth the risk._

Christine wondered if this was how her mother had felt all those years ago, when her father had put his heart on the line and asked her to give him a chance. The question was, would she reject Michael like her mother had done her father, or would she take the risk?

Michael was waiting patiently beside her, his eyes no longer hiding his feelings. For the first time, Christine allowed herself to see what was right in front of her. Michael's love for her was plainly written on his face, and Christine couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at seeing such naked adoration. No one had ever looked at her that way before, and no one had ever made her heart race as it was doing at that moment - not even Aaron.

Suddenly, her mother's last words to her on the subject came to the forefront of her mind.

_Trust yourself, Christine. You'll know what to do._

Before she could lose her nerve, Christine leant forward and kissed Michael full on the mouth. He hesitated at first, before responding in kind. Christine's heart began to beat even faster as she put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, as he slid his own arms around her waist.

Breaking the kiss a few moments later, Christine smiled and slowly opened her eyes.

"There it is."

"What?" Michael asked breathlessly.

"The spark." Christine said in wonderment. "It was never there with Aaron, but I was looking in the wrong place. It's been here all along."

Michael grinned broadly. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Christine took his hands in hers and grinned back. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize it, but I promise I'll make it up to you."

Michael chuckled and leant forward for another kiss. "I'm going to hold you to that."

Unnoticed by the new couple outside, inside the house a woman walked by the window, and grinned happily at what she saw. Picking up the phone, the woman hit speed dial number one and waited for an answer.

"Bren, it's Angela. You'll never guess what I've just seen!"

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know quite a few of you who will be very happy that Michael and Christine are finally together! For the purely Booth and Brennan fans, don't worry, there will be more moments between them before this series is over. I was planning to write another two chapters after this one, however, I've decided that my ideas for them will work better as one chapter to conclude the series, so I'll be posting that within the next week. **

**Please press the blue button and leave a review to let me know your thoughts on this chapter. I'll always reply to you if I can. Thank you. :) **


	9. Future Beginnings

**Well, we've finally come to the end of this series. I'm really going to miss dropping in on the Booth family every now and then. I've really enjoyed writing Christine's life and I'm quite sad to be leaving her now, but it's the right time. In this final chapter, Christine and Michael are heading off to college to make the first step into their future. Reviews for this chapter and the series as a whole would be very welcome, and always replied to if possible. Thank you. **

***Just a little note. As I've said before, I'm from Scotland, so my knowledge of US colleges is very limited. I looked at the websites of the Ivy League schools and picked the one that I felt would suit both Christine and Michael, while not being an obvious choice like Harvard or Yale. I'm sure many of you have opinions about these schools, some of you have probably attended them. Please note that my choice was not based on any particular feelings or knowledge I have about these colleges, I just picked one, so if you're not a fan of it, I hope it won't distract you from the story itself. I know how much loyalty colleges can inspire in their students and alumni! **

Eighteen-year-old Christine Booth smiled at the computer screen as she browsed through the websites of the colleges she had applied to for what felt like the hundredth time. Having inherited a great love of science and academia from her mother, along with her considerable intelligence, Christine had been dreaming about attending college for years, and now it was only a few months away.

After receiving their SAT results, she and Michael had spent weeks together flicking through prospectuses, social networking pages, college websites, and having numerous animated discussions with their parents in order to decide which schools they wanted to apply to. Given that they were both academically gifted and had parents who were very well off, they had restricted their applications to the Ivy League. In the end, they had narrowed down their choices to a list of four each.

Christine had applied to Brown, Cornell, Princeton and Yale. Michael had also opted for Brown and Cornell, but had decided on Dartmouth and Harvard as his other choices. Despite applying to all these colleges, they both had their hearts set on attending Cornell together. At first, their parents had been concerned that their still developing relationship was having too great an influence on their decision-making. Brennan in particular had urged her daughter to think rationally about her choices, and not allow her emotional attachment to Michael to cloud her judgment. After some discussion however, both she and Michael had successfully convinced their parents that, although attending college together was something they really wanted to do, it was the academic courses on offer at Cornell that had proved to be the real attraction.

Along with the social and sporting opportunities available, Christine was drawn to the impressive science departments at the university, and was planning to go on to major in physics. She had thought long and hard about which branch of the sciences she wanted to pursue. Having watched her parents deal with death since she was a child, Christine was determined to chase life and all its possibilities. She had considered medicine, but felt that she would much rather apply her passion for science directly to research and development. The idea of making a career out of conducting experiments and generating innovative theories was very exciting to Christine. Needless to say, her mother had been delighted with her decision, and had begun to talk enthusiastically about all the discoveries she could make and the exciting opportunities she would have. Her father had simply hugged her and told her how proud he was to have such an intelligent and driven daughter.

Michael had also been attracted to Cornell's science departments, particularly the Molecular Biology and Genetics division. Christine smiled and looked at the framed picture of herself and Michael that she kept on her desk. She could still remember the look of passionate determination on his face when he had explained his reasons for wanting to pursue genetics.

Due to a rare gene that had been present in both his parents, there had been a twenty five percent chance that Michael could have been born with Leber Congenital Amaurosis; a condition that would have resulted in blindness. Michael had been lucky to avoid this, but he knew that others hadn't been so fortunate. He had also spoken of the many other genetic conditions that as yet had no cure, and his desire to dedicate his career to research that might help alleviate the sufferings of those afflicted by them. If Christine hadn't already been in love with Michael before hearing his impassioned speech, she would have fallen hard for him in that moment.

Christine thought back to the day they had first begun their relationship. It had been almost four months ago now, and those months had been the happiest of her life. She chuckled to herself as she remembered the reactions of she and Michael's parents to the news that they were now a couple. Leaning back in her desk chair, Christine allowed the memories to wash over her.

_Swept up in the whirlwind of emotions that came from kissing Michael for only the second time, Christine had barely registered the sound of the front door opening - until Angela's voice had pulled her abruptly back to reality._

"_Oh my God, you guys are so cute together! I knew this would happen eventually!"_

_Christine had blushed furiously and tried to look anywhere but at Angela's face, while Michael had almost fallen off the porch swing as he leapt backwards from Christine. _

"_Mom! What the hell?" _

_Angela had grinned broadly, not looking the least bit apologetic about intruding on her son and his new girlfriend._

"_Well, Michael, this is what happens when you wait years to tell someone you love them and then kiss them right outside of my house."_

_Michael had gone slack- jawed at his mother's bluntness, while Christine had turned to him in dismay. _

"_Did _everyone_ know how you felt but me?"_

_Michael had started to reply, but was interrupted by Angela, who had hustled forward to pull Christine to her feet and into a fierce hug._

"_It doesn't matter, sweetie. All that matters is that you know now. I'm so happy for the two of you!"_

"_Thanks." Christine said, still feeling very flustered by Angela's sudden appearance. _

"_Hey," Michael had stared at his mother with barely disguised annoyance, "speaking of happy, it would make me really happy if you would go back inside and leave us alone!"_

_Unperturbed by her son's irritated tone, Angela had released Christine and grinned at Michael. "I will in a minute, I just need to let your dad know about this first!"_

_Before Michael could stop her, Angela had stuck her head back inside the house and yelled up the stairs for Hodgins. _

_Christine had blushed a deeper shade of red while Michael had just shaken his head and rolled his eyes skyward. _

"_He'll be right down." Angela had informed them._

"_Great!" Michael replied sarcastically. "Why don't you invite the neighbors round to join us, too? Or better yet, hire a skywriter!"_

_Angela had only chuckled at her son's obvious exasperation. A few seconds later, Hodgins had appeared on the porch._

"_What's going on, Angie?" He asked, suddenly noticing Christine. "Oh, hey, Christine."_

"_Hey." Christine muttered, still grappling with her embarrassment._

_Angela had turned to her husband, a grin still evident on her face. "I called you down here so that I could tell you the wonderful news. Our son has finally gotten his act together and he and Christine are now a couple! Isn't that fantastic?"_

_Hodgins turned to Michael, a grin matching that of his wife's forming on his face. _

"_Seriously? That's awesome!"_

_Michael had sighed and addressed his father. "Yeah, it is awesome. But what would be even more awesome is if Chris and I could actually be alone right now."_

_Hodgins had chuckled at his son's directness, while Angela had raised both her hands up in surrender._

"_Okay, okay, we get the message! Come on Hodgins, let's leave these two lovebirds to it!"_

_At that, Christine had gotten rapidly to her feet, feeling far too awkward and embarrassed to stay any longer._

"_Actually, I should head home now. My parents will be wondering where I am, and I should probably tell them about ..." she gestured towards Michael, blushing again, "you know."_

"_Oh I already called your mom, Christine." Angela had happily informed her. "She was delighted when I told her!" _

_Christine had been slightly mortified to hear this, while Michael had glared at his mother, his voice betraying his utter frustration with her._

"_Oh my God, you're unbelievable!"_

"_What?" Angela had feigned innocence, "I can't be happy for my son?"_

_Hodgins had stepped in then. "Let's go, Angie. I think we've embarrassed them enough!"_

_Michael had smiled gratefully at his father, as he stepped forward and took Christine's hand._

"_I'll go back with you. Your dad's probably gonna want to give me the 'I used to be a sniper' talk now that we're together. Might as well get it over with now. Plus," he turned to look back at his parents, "I think I need to get away from here before mom invites the whole neighborhood round for a celebration party."_

_Angela had scowled affectionately at him while Hodgins steered her back inside, grinning at the teenagers. _

_A short walk and a bus ride later, Christine and Michael had arrived at Christine's house._

_When they walked through the door, they had been greeted by a smiling Booth and Brennan. Booth had stepped forward first, kissing Christine on the forehead and shaking Michael's hand with much less force than he had Aaron's, Christine had noted with relief. Brennan then pulled her daughter into a hug, telling her how happy she was for both of them. Christine drew back and smiled at her mother, and while the two talked amongst themselves, Booth had gestured for Michael to step into the kitchen with him._

Christine pulled herself back from her memories for a moment, turning her head to look at the picture of her and her father on her bedroom wall. She had been about nine years old, and they were both dressed in sports clothes, having just finished a family game of soccer. Booth had his arm slung around his daughter's shoulders, and they were both grinning happily at the camera. When Michael had later told Christine what Booth had said to him the day they had become a couple, she had felt an overwhelming rush of love and affection for her father. Still gazing at the picture, Christine replayed the scene in her mind that Michael had shared with her.

_Not bothering with the pretence that he had used with Aaron, Booth had simply stopped and turned to Michael once they were in the kitchen. _

"_Okay, listen, Michael. I've known you your whole life, so I can't intimidate you because you already know I was a sniper, and I can't threaten you because you know I would never hurt you. But, I will say this. I know how amazing it feels to have been in love with your best friend for so long and then finally get to be with her. So, all I'm gonna say is cherish Christine and what you have together, and don't try to rush anything. You have the rest of your lives to be together if that's how things turn out. You're both still young and you're gonna make mistakes, but if you're honest about how you feel and always have each other's backs no matter what happens, then you'll get through whatever life throws at you."_

_Booth had smiled then and clapped a hand on Michael's shoulder._

"_And hey, for the record, Christine couldn't have picked a better guy, and I know you'll treat her right."_

_Knowing Booth as he did, and how fiercely protective he was of his daughter, Michael was humbled by Booth's faith in him. Smiling and nodding gratefully in acknowledgement, Michael had then followed Booth back into the living area where the women they loved were waiting for them. _

Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Christine turned her attention back to her computer screen, which currently displayed the homepage for Cornell's Physics department. Christine allowed her mind to wander, as she imagined how wonderful it would be to go there with Michael in the fall.

)()()()()()()()()(

Several weeks later, Christine sat on her bed, an envelope clutched tightly in her hands. It was finally here. After waiting for months to find out if her application to Cornell had been successful, the result was now in her hands – albeit still unopened. Although she and Michael had already been accepted into several of their chosen universities so far, it was Cornell that mattered most to them, and they had promised each other that they would wait until they could find out their results together.

The sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs caused her to jerk her head up. Jumping to her feet, Christine threw open her bedroom door and rushed downstairs - barreling past both her parents who were standing in the hallway - and pulled open the front door. Michael stood there, holding his own envelope, smiling nervously at his girlfriend. Beside him stood his very impatient looking parents.

Booth and Brennan walked up behind their daughter to greet their guests.

"Hey, Michael." Booth said cheerfully, smiling at the other visitors. "Ah, I see you brought Angela and Hodgins too."

Michael's face took on an exasperated expression as he replied. "They followed me here! I did not _bring_ them!"

Hodgins turned to his son and prodded him in the shoulder. "That's only because you refused to open the damn letter at our place!"

Angela smiled apologetically at Christine and her parents while addressing her irritated husband. "Michael wouldn't open his results without Christine. It's sweet really, isn't it, Jack?"

Hodgins rolled his eyes and sighed, nodding his head begrudgingly. Booth and Brennan smiled at each other, understanding Hodgins' frustration, having spent the last several hours waiting for Christine to learn her results as well.

"Well, why don't you guys come in so we can all finally find out?" Booth said as he gestured for the three of them to come inside.

Once everyone was standing in the hallway, Christine turned to address the group.

"So, Michael and I have talked about this and we would really like to open our letters in private upstairs without all of you hovering around and staring at us." Christine paused as she looked into four incredulous faces. "You know, like you are now."

"Oh for God's sake!" Hodgins threw his arms up in frustration.

Angela placed a calming hand on his arm. "Honey, have some patience. This is really important to them and it's their choice how they want to find out."

Michael smiled, for once thankful for his mother's interference. "Thanks, Mom."

Christine turned to her own parents as she gestured upstairs. "Do you guys mind? We won't keep you waiting too long."

Pushing aside his own impatience and apprehension, Booth smiled at his very nervous looking daughter. "Sure thing, Stapes. You two gone on ahead."

Smiling gratefully, Christine grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him upstairs and into her room, shutting the door securely behind them. Sitting down side by side on Christine's bed, both still clutching their letters, the two nervous teens turned to look at each other.

Michael spoke first. "You ready?"

Christine took a deep a breath and nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, on three." Michael said, placing his fingers against the envelope seal while Christine did the same.

"One. Two. Thr –"

"What if I haven't gotten in?" Christine blurted out suddenly. "I know I have my other choices, but my heart's set on Cornell and I want to go there with you."

Michael smiled reassuringly and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Chris, it's going to be okay. You will have gotten in, I know you will. But we really need to open these now, or I think our parents are gonna break down the door!"

Sure enough, muffled movements could be heard from outside the door, their parents evidently having lost patience with waiting downstairs.

"Hurry up in there!" Hodgins' irritated voice called out.

"Just give them a minute, Jack!" Angela hissed back.

"Hey, you two better not be doing anything other than opening letters in there!" Booth piped up.

"Booth, I think it would be highly unlikely that Christine and Michael would engage in any sexual activities while their parents were standing just outside the door." Brennan chimed in.

"Mom!" Christine was completely mortified.

Booth was equally horrified. "Jeez, Bones! I didn't mean stuff like that!"

A look of confusion crossed Brennan's face. "Then what were you referring to?"

"Well, you know, just ..., like ...," Booth stuttered uncomfortably, before abandoning his attempted explanation and yelling through the door. "Oh hell! Would you two just open the damn letters already!"

Michael and Christine chuckled nervously, before looking intently into each other's eyes. Squeezing her hand briefly, Michael mouthed the countdown. On 'three' they ripped open their letters.

"YES!"

"Oh thank GOD!"

The two relieved and excited teenagers leapt to their feet and hugged each other fiercely. A moment later, the door burst open as their equally relieved parents ran forward to congratulate them.

Brennan pulled Christine into a tight hug, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm so proud of you, Christine. I had every faith in you."

"Thanks, Mom." Christine said, pulling back to accept a hug from her father as well. "Congratulations, Stapes. I'm really proud of you, too."

Next to them, Michael was receiving similar hugs and praise from Angela and Hodgins.

Meeting his eyes, Christine smiled at Michael through tears of joy and relief. They would be going to college together. Suddenly, the future seemed even more exciting than before.

)()()()()()()()()(

About four months later, Christine stood in her room surrounded by nearly filled boxes and several open suitcases. Today she was heading off to college, and she was packing the last of her things before she and her parents headed to Cornell. Michael and his parents would be following in the car behind, and they had planned to stop somewhere over night along the way to break up the journey.

"Need any help?" Christine smiled as she looked up to see her parents standing in the doorway.

"No thanks," she replied, "I only have a few more things to pack and then I'll be all set."

Booth nodded and put his arm around Brennan's shoulders as they watched their daughter rush excitedly about her room, gathering up the last of the things she wanted to take with her.

Brennan suddenly took a deep, shaky breath. Looking down, Booth realized that his wife was crying softly. Turning her away from the door, Booth told Christine that they would be right back, before taking Brennan's hand and leading her down the hallway and into their bedroom.

"You okay, Bones?"

Brennan nodded and wiped at her eyes. "I'm fine, Booth. I don't know why I'm getting so emotional. Logically, I knew that Christine would leave to attend college eventually, and I know that we can easily maintain regular contact with her while she's gone. It's just ..."

She threw up her hands in frustration at her inability to articulate her feelings and looked down at the floor.

"Hey," Booth said gently, stepping forward and cupping her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "It's perfectly normal to feel this way, Bones. Christine's all grown up now and she's leaving to start a whole new chapter in her life. I felt the same with Parker and I feel it now too. You wouldn't be a good mom if you weren't at least a bit upset that your daughter was moving out."

Brennan nodded. "I know, you're right of course. I'm just really going to miss her, that's all."

Booth smiled tenderly and pulled her into his embrace, raising one hand to stroke her hair. "Yeah, I'm gonna miss her, too. But I'm sure we can convince her to come home every once in a while to visit her parents."

Brennan smiled and stepped back from her husband. "We should go and help Christine take her things downstairs."

Booth nodded and leant forward to kiss her. "I love you, Bones." He whispered once they parted. "We did a good job with her, she's gonna be just fine."

Brennan nodded. "I know. I love you, too."

While her parents had been talking in the other room, Christine had been gathering up the last of her things. Surveying the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, her eyes fell on the four objects that still lay on her bed.

The embroidered purse that Parker had given her for her sixteenth birthday. He had called her a few days previously to wish her luck on starting college, and to tell her he was proud of her. Picking up the purse, she ran her fingers over the stitched flowers, smiling fondly at the memory of the day it had been given to her, before gently placing it into the last of the open boxes.

Next, she picked up two framed photographs. One, a picture of her and her grandpa, the other a picture of her and her parents. It had been almost three years since she had found out the truth about her grandfather's past, and what he and her grandmother and put her mother through. Although Christine was no longer able to look at him with the same wide-eyed innocent devotion that she had as a child, she still loved her grandpa deeply, and would always think of him as well as her mother when she did science experiments at college. Despite the skeletons in her family closet, Christine knew just how lucky she was to have them, and wouldn't change a single one of them for anything in the world. Carefully, she placed the pictures into the box on top of the purse.

Smiling, Christine turned to the last item on the bed – the bracelet Michael had given her for her sixteenth birthday. Looking back, it was so obvious to her now how he had felt about her even then. At the beginning of their relationship, she had often told him how much she regretted not realizing sooner, since they could have been together for much longer than they had been. It had taken some time, but Michael had eventually convinced her that she hadn't been ready to see it then, and that all that mattered was that they were together now. Christine was so happy to be taking this huge step into her future with Michael by her side, and knew with absolutely certainty that they would do themselves and their families proud. Slipping the bracelet onto her wrist, Christine closed the final box and laid it down by the door.

Just then, her parents came back along the corridor. Although she noticed the slight redness in her mother's eyes, Christine opted not to mention it. Instead, she smiled at both of them.

"I'm all packed now. Should we start loading up the car? Michael, Angela and Hodgins should be here soon."

"Good idea, Stapes." Booth said as he stepped forward and grabbed the two suitcases off the bed. Brennan and Christine followed suit, each picking up a box and heading downstairs.

Half an hour later, the car was packed and Michael and his parents had arrived. While everyone waited outside, Christine ran back upstairs to make a final quick check of her room before they left.

Pushing open her door, Christine took a last look around. Her room seemed smaller somehow, and not just because much of its contents were now down in the car. Despite the excitement she felt about finally starting college, Christine couldn't help the rush of anxiety that surged through her when she thought of leaving her childhood home. It was normal to feel that way, she knew, but it didn't make it any easier. Seeing that there was nothing she had forgotten, Christine took a deep breath and nodded to herself, before closing the door and making her way back downstairs.

)()()()()()()()()(

A few days later, Christine and Michael found themselves on the Cornell University campus. They had already checked into their dorms with their belongings, and now all that was left to do was to say goodbye to their parents. Given that her father and Hodgins had already found several excuses to delay their departure, Christine was quite certain that their parents were having more trouble letting go than she and Michael were.

They were standing out in the parking lot, and Booth was checking the oil in he and Brennan's car for the second time, while Hodgins was making Michael check and re-check their car to make sure that he hadn't left anything. Finally, Brennan turned to her husband.

"Booth, I am certain that you have sufficiently checked every system in the car several times now. I think it is time for us to leave."

Sighing, Booth reluctantly closed the hood of the car. "Yeah, I guess."

Angela spoke up. "Us too, Jack. I'm pretty sure Michael hasn't left anything in the car, unless you want him to take the gas tank."

Hodgins chuckled nervously, trying his best to cover his reluctance to leave his son.

Christine and Michael smiled at each other, before stepping forward to their parents. Angela pulled Michael into a fierce hug, rapidly firing off advice about cooking, laundry, and other such knowledge that mothers attempt to impart to their freshman children.

Next to them, Brennan was doing much the same thing. "Now, don't forget, Christine. Try to eat three meals a day, including plenty of fruit and vegetables. You will need your energy to get through all your work and classes. Try and get at least eight hours of sleep a night, too."

Christine pulled back from her mother, smiling. "Mom, I know you have to say all these things, but this is college, there's gonna be plenty of late nights and junk food, you know that."

Brennan sighed and nodded. "Yes, I do. Although I did not partake in the reckless and irresponsible behavior I observed amongst my peers whilst I was in college, I would not expect you to do the same. Enjoy this experience, Christine, but don't forget why you're here. You have the potential to be an exceptional scientist one day, and your journey begins now."

Brennan brought her hand up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind Christine's ear. "I know you will excel here, Christine, but please remember that I love you, and I will always be proud of you no matter what you do."

Christine smiled tearfully and hugged her mother again, grateful for her support and reassurance.

Turning then to her father, Christine could tell that saying goodbye was hard on him, too.

"Are you okay, Dad?"

Booth took her hand and smiled. "Yeah, Stapes, don't you be worrying about your old dad, okay? Now, you know you can call us anytime day or night if you need us, right?"

Christine smiled indulgently, allowing her father to repeat what he had already said to her many times before.

"Right."

"And you can come home for visits anytime you want, your mom and I will always be there for you."

"I know, Dad."

Booth sighed as he prepared to let his little girl go. "And you know we love you and we're gonna miss you so much, but that we're also so proud of you for getting here. Your family will always have your back, Stapes, don't you ever forget that."

Eyes tearing up again, Christine hugged her father tightly. "I love you too, Dad."

Stepping back, Christine looked over at Michael, who was attempting to extricate himself from the death grip his mother had on him.

"Mom, Mom, you have to let me go now. I promise I'll take care of myself."

Angela sniffled. "I know, I know! You have to indulge your mother, Michael! My little boy is going off to college!"

Chuckling, Michael allowed her to pull him into one final hug, while Hodgins clapped him on the back.

Finally releasing him, Angela stepped back and Michael walked over and took Christine's hand.

"You ready to go, Chris?"

Christine smiled up at him. "Yeah, I think so."

Turning to their parents, who were all attempting to keep their composure, to varying degrees of success, Christine and Michael said their goodbyes.

Taking one last look and exchanging final 'I love you's', the teenagers turned and walked hand in hand back towards the main campus.

Angela rested her head against Hodgins' shoulder as he slid his arm around her waist, while Brennan moved to put her arms around Booth as he pulled her against him. Together, the four friends watched their children, the new generation of scientists, as they walked towards their future.

**And there they go! Sadly, that's all for this series. I have been asked about a sequel, and, although I currently have no definite plans for one, I'm not going to rule it out. I have grown very fond of Christine and Michael, so I may catch up with them in the future and write a new series. I appreciate every review I've received, but I would like to say a special thank you to those of you who have consistently reviewed this story, whether all the chapters or just a few. I'm very grateful for your continued encouragement and all your kind words. On that note, I would love to know what everyone thought of this chapter, and of the series as a whole, so please hit the blue button and let me know your thoughts. I normally like to reply to my reviews as soon as I get them, but I'm going away for three weeks on Monday, so I won't be online as much. I promise I will reply to them all eventually though. Thank you so much for reading. **


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